iS3.  Z 

VS4C- 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 


NO.  189 

^  Pour  Times  a  Month 

'  SCIENTIFIC  SERIES'  NO.  19. 


viyl 


JULY  1,  1911 


Bureau  of  Economic  Geology  and  Technology 


The  Composition  of  Texas  Coals" 

and  Lignites 

and 

The  Use  of  Producer  Gas  in  Texas 


WM.  B.  PHILLIPS 
S.  H.  WORRELL 
DRURY  McN.  PHILLIPS 


tid*x>nr 


PUBLISHED  BY 
THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 
AUSTIN,  TEXAS 


Entered  as  secohid-class  mail  matter  at  the  post  office  at 

Austin^  Texas 


242-711-2500-4940 


BULLETIN 

< 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 

NO.  189 

Four  Times  a  Month. 

SCIENTIFIC  SERIES  NO.  19.  JULY  1,  1911 

The  Composition  of  Tex; as  Coals 

and  Lignites 

and 

The  Use  of  Producer  Gas  in  Texas 

BY 

Wm.  B.  PHILLIPS 

Director  of  the  Bureau  of  Economic  Geology  and  Technology 

S.  H.  WORRELL 
Chief  of  the  Testing  Laboratory 

DRURY  McN.  PHILLIPS 


PUBLISHED  BY 
THE  UNIVERSITY  OP  TEXAS 
AUSTIN,  TEXAS 

Entered  as  second-class  mail  matter  at  the  postoffice  at 

Austin^  Texas 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 


Introduction  . 3-4 

Chapter  1 .  5 


Coal. — Demand  for  Information — Coal  Fields — Railroad 
Facilities — Production  of  Coal  and  Lignite — Tables  of 
Analyses — Discussion — Value  of  Products  from  Gas-works 
in  the  United  States — Fuel  and  Illuminating  Gas — Heat¬ 
ing  power  of  Texas  Coals — Analyses  of  Coals  Not  Now 
Used. 

Chapter  II . . .  37 

Lignite. — Extent  of.  Fields — Geological  Formations — 
Flora  and  Fauna  of  Coal  Beds  -in  General — ^^Tables  of 
Analyses — Discussion — Analyses  of  Lignites  Not  Now 
Used. 

Chapter  III .  59 

The  Use  of  Producer  Gas  in  Texas. — Installations  of 
Producers — Lignite  Fields  in  United  States — Tests  of 
Texas  Lignite  in  Fuel  Testing  Plant,  St.  Louis — Estab¬ 
lishments  in  Texas — Producers  and  Gas  Engines  Used  in 
Texas — Tables  of  Producer  Operations — Analyses  of  Pro¬ 
ducer  Gas — Heat  Units  in  Producer  Gas — Gas  Engine  and 
Producer  Considered  as  a  Compact  System — Economy  from 
Use  of  Producer  Gas — Cost  of  Fuel  per  Horse-power 
Hour — Producer  Gas  from  Lignite  to  be  Chief  Source  of 
Power. 


a 


INTEODUCTION 


This  Bulletin  on  The  Composition  of  Texas  Coals  and  Lig¬ 
nites  and  the  Use  of  Producer  Gas  in  Texas  has  been  prepared 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  numerous  requests  for  in¬ 
formation  respecting  the  character  of  our  fuels. 

There  has  been  no  geological  survey  in  Texas  since  1892, 
and  nearly  all  of  the  publications  of  that  survey,  1888-1892, 
are  now  out  of  print,  as  are  also  the  publications  of  the  Uni¬ 
versity  Mineral  Survey,  1901-1905.  There  have  been  three 
special  publications  on  the  subject  of  Texas  Coals  and  Lignites. 
The  first  of  these  was  a  pamphlet  entitled  ‘‘Preliminary  Re¬ 
port  on  the  Utilization  of  Lignite,”  by  E.  T.  Bumble,  State 
Geologist,  November  18,  1891.  This  was  followed,  in  1892,  by 
his  comprehensive  “Report  on  the  Brovm  Coal  and  Lignite  of 
Texas,”  in  which  he  discussed  the  character,  formation,  oc¬ 
currence,  and  fuel  uses  of  our  lignites.  Of  this  excellent  re- 
port  there  are  still  some  copies  on  hand  for  distribution,  price, 
^0  cents  for  unbound  and  25  cents  for  bound  copies. 

The  Texas  Geological  Survey  was  discontinued  in  1892,  and 
^  there  were  no  further  publications  until  the  establishment  of 
the  University  Mineral  Survey  in  1901.  This  survey  was  dis- 
'continued  in  1905. 

In  May,  1902,  it  issued  Bulletin  No.  3,  entitled  “Coal,  Lig- 
nite  and  Asphalt  Rocks,”  in  which  were  given  sections  of  coal 
and  lignite  seams  and  many  detailed  analyses.  The  edition  of  this 
ij^liulletin  has  long  since  been  exhausted,  and  there  is  not  a 
\  single  copy  that  can  be  sent  out.  In  the  meantime  there  has 
,~-S^en  a  considerable  development  of  coal  and  lignite  mining  in 
Texas,  the  combined  production  having  increased  from  1,104,- 
953  tons,  valued  at  $1,907,024,  in  1901.  to  2,108,179  tons,  val¬ 
ued  at  $3,771,089,  in  1910.  During  this  period  the  production 
of  lignite  alone  has  increased  from  303,155  tons,  valued  at 
$251,288,  to  979,232  tons,  valued  at  $941,700.  During  the  last 
X  few  years  there  has  been  a  marked  increase  in  the  use  of  lig- 
^  nite  in  gas-producers,  the  gas  thus  made  going  to  gas  engines 
for  the  generation  of  power.  Lignite  is  also  used  in  gas-pro¬ 
ducers  for  fuel  to  be  employed  in  the  burning  of  lime,  etc. 


4 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


In  the  chapter  on  “The  Use  of  Lignite  in  Gas  Producers,”  pre¬ 
pared  by  Mr.  Drury  IMcN.  Phillips,  at  his  own  expense,  this , 
matter  is  discussed. 

Considering  the  great  extent  of  the  lignite  fields  in  Texas, 
probably  in  excess  of  60,000  square  miles,  an  area  larger  than 
the  entire  State  of  Georgia,  and  the  fact  that  every  variety 
of  this  fuel  is  to  be  found  here,  and  further,  that  it  affords 
the  cheapest  and  best  fuel  in  the  State,  with  the  possible  ex¬ 
ception  of  natural  gas  in  certain  favored  localities,  for  many 
commercial  purposes,  it  is  well  within  reason  to  believe  that 
this  fuel  will  be  our  chief  industrial  reliance  for  power. 

Since  1895  the  production  of  lignite  has  increased  from 
124,343  tons,  valued  at  $111,908,  to  979,232  tons,  valued  at 
$941,700.  During  this  period  of  16  years  the  production  of 
coal  has  increased  about  200  per  cent,  while  that  of  lignite  has 
increased  about  700  per  cent. 

The  investigations  on  coal  and  lignite,  begun  by  this  Bu¬ 
reau,  were  planned  to  cover,  as  far  as  possible,  two  subjects, 
the  detailed  analyses  and  the  gas-producing  qualities,  this  lat¬ 
ter  to  cover  also  the  production  of  tar  and  ammoniacal  liquor. 
The  first  part  has  now  been  completed,  and  work  on  the  second 
part  has  begun.  The  analyses  herewith  submitted  represent 
producing  mines  only,  except  when  it  is  expressly  stated  to 
the  contrary. 

Wm.  B.  Phillips, 

Director ; 

S.  H.  Worrell, 

Chief  of  Testing  Laboratory; 

Drury  McN.  Phillips, 

Special  Agent ; 

Bureau  of  Economic  Geology  and  Technology,  University  of 

Texas. 

Austin,  Texas,  July,  1911. 


TH[  COMPOSITION  Of  TEXAS  COALS  AND  LIGNITES 

BY 

WM.  B.  PHILLIPS  AND  S.  H.  WORRELL 
AND 

USE  OE  PRODUCER  GAS  IN  TEXAS 

BY 

DRURY  McN.  PHILLIPS 

Chapter  I. 

COAL. 

In  Bulletin  No.  3  of  the  University  Mineral  Survey,  May, 
1902,  there  were  given  detailed  analyses  of  the  coals  and  lig¬ 
nites  then  mined  in  Texas.  The  samples  were  taken  in  person, 
at  the  mines,  by  an  agent  of  the  Survey  and  represented  the 
freshly  mined  material.  The  complete  exhaustion  of  the  edi¬ 
tion  of  that  Bulletin  and  the  constant  requests  for  information 
respecting  the  composition  of  our  coals  and  lignites  has  led  to 
the  preparation  of  this  publication.  It  was  planned  to  extend 
the  inquiry  to  cover  the  gas-producing  power  of  these  fuels, 
the  determination  of  the  amount  and  quality  of  the  gas  to  be 
obtained,  the  amount  and  quality  of  the  tar,  ammoniacal 
liquor,  etc.  But  as  this  latter  inquiry  requires  a  great  deal 
of  time  and  the  requests  for  information  as  to  the  composition 
of  our  coals  and  lignites  have  become  so  numerous  and  so 
pressing,  it  has  been  thought  best  to  issue  this  Bulletin  now, 
and  to  supplement  it  later  by  the  results  of  further  research. 

It  is  not  our  purpose,  at  this  time,  to  enter  into  a  detailed 
description,  of  the  coal  and  lignite  fields  of  Texas,  or  to  discuss 
their  geology.  It  will  suffice  to  say  that  there  are  three  well- 
recognized  coal  fields  in  Texas,  two  on  the  Eio  Grande  and  one 
in  north  central  Texas,  west  of  Fort  Worth. 

The  two  on  the  Rio  Grande  are  in  Maverick  County,  with 
Eagle  Pass  as  the  chief  town,  and  Webb  County,  with  Laredo 
as  the  chief  town.  This  field  extends  also  into  the  counties  of 


6  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

Dimmit  and  Zavala.  It  is  entered  by  the  following  railroads: 
Southern  Pacific;  International  &  Great  Northern;  Rio  Grande 
&  El  Paso;  Uvalde  &  Crystal  Palls;  Asherton  &  Gulf;  and 
Texas  Mexican. 

The  coal  is  probably  of  Tertiary  age. 

,The  North  Central  Coal  Field  lies  in  the  counties  of  Brown, 
Coleman,  Comanche,  Erath,  Eastland,  Jack,  McCulloch,  Mon¬ 
tague,  Palo  Pinto,  Parker,  San  Saba,  Shackelford,  Stephens, 
Wise,  and  Young.  It  comes  south  of  the  Colorado  river  in 
McCulloch  and  San  Saba  counties.  Its  coal  is  of  Carboniferous 
age. 

The  North  Central  Coal  Field  is  entered  by  the  following 
railroads:  Texas  &  Pacific;  Texas  Central;  Chicago,  Rock 

Island  &  Gulf;  Fort  Worth  &  Denver;  Port  Worth  &  Rio 
Grande'  (Frisco)  ;  Gulf,  Colorado  &  Santa  Fe;  Wichita  Falls 
&  Southern;  Mineral  Wells  &  Northwestern;  Stephen ville. 
North  &  South  Texas;  Gulf,  Texas  &  Western. 

The  total  workable  coal  area  may  be  taken  at  8,200  square 
miles,  with  an  additional  area  of  5,300  square  miles,  that  may 
contain  workable  beds,  as  estimated  by  Mr.  M.  R.  Campbell, 
of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey.  The  original  supply 
of  coal  in  Texas  is  thought  by  Mr.  Campbell  to  have  been 
8,000,000,000  tons.  The  total  loss  of  coal,  due  to  production 
and  waste,  certainly  has  not  exceeded  15,000,000  tons,  so  that 
we  have  still  99  per  cent  of  the  original  supply  left.  This  sup¬ 
ply  is  sufficient  to  provide  for  a  mining  loss  of  10,000,000  tons 
a  year  for  800  years. 

No  extended  mention  is  here  made  of  the  coal  area  in  El 
Paso  and  Presidio  counties,  because  no  coal  of  commercial 
importance  has  been  mined  there  for  many  years. 

At  one  time,  1893-1895,  it  was  hoped  by  the  parties  at  in¬ 
terest  that  the  San  •  Carlos  Coal  Field,  in  Presidio  county,  20 
to  25  miles  south  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway,  at  Chispa, 
could  be  developed.  A  railroad  was  built  to  it,  and  a  great 
deal  of  expensive  work  was  done.  But  the  enterprise  has 
long  since  been  abandoned,  although  there  appears  to  be  rea¬ 
son  for  thinking  that  the  best  coal  there  was  not  opened  at  all. 
It  is  possible  that  a  coking  coal  of  fair  quality  exists  in  that 
field,  in  addition  to  natural  gas.  (See  this  Bulletin,  p.  34.) 

The  production  of  coal,  as  distinct  from  lignite,  can .  not  be 


Texas  Goals  and  Lignites 


7 


given  with  accuracy  prior  to  the  year  1895.  Up  to  that  time, 
beginning  with  the  year  1884,  the  total  production  of  coal  and 
lignite  was  1,943,500  short  tons,  or  an  average  for  the  eleven 
years  of  176,681  tons  a  year.  Beginning,  however,  with  the 
year  1895  we  have  coal  and  lignite  as  separate  items. 

The  following  table  gives  the  production  and  value  of  the 
coal  and  lignite  from  1895  to  1910,  inclusive.  The  statistics 
are  those  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  except  for 
1909  and  1910.  These  were  collected  by  the  Buleau : 


PRODUCTION  AND  VALUE  OF  COAL  AND  LIGNITE,  1895-1910— SHORT  TONS. 


Tear. 

Coal— Tons. 

Value. 

Lignite— tons. 

Value. 

1895  _ 

'860,616 

$  801,230 

124,343 

$  111,908 

1S96  _ 

376,076 

747,872 

167,939 

148,379 

,  . 

422,727 

792,838 

216,614 

179,485 

1898  . - 

490,315 

968,871 

196,419 

170,892 

1899  _ 

687,411 

1,188,177 

196,421 

146,718 

1900  . 

715,461 

1,350,607 

252,912 

231,307 

1901  _ 

804,798 

1,655,736 

303,155 

251,288 

1902  . - . 

696,005 

1,326,155 

205,907 

151,090 

1903  _ 

659,154 

1,289,110 

267,605 

216,273 

1904  . - 

774,315 

1,652,992 

421,629 

330,644 

1905  . 

809,151 

1,684,527 

391,533 

284,031 

1906  _ 

839,985 

1,779,890 

472,888 

399,011 

1907  _ 

940,337 

2,062,918 

707,732 

715,898 

1908  _ 

1,047,407 

2,580,991 

847,970 

838,490 

1909  _ 

1,144,108 

2,714,630 

715,151 

592,421 

1910 . .  . 

1,128,947 

2,829,389 

979,232 

941,700 

Total  _ 

11,896,813 

$25,425,933 

6,467,450 

$  5,709,530 

Since  1895  the  production  of  coal  has  increased  by  more  than 
200  per  cent.  During  the  same  period  the  production  of  lignite 
has  increased  by  nearly  700  per  cent.  For  each  ton  of  coal 
mined  in  1895  there  are  now  mined  more  than  three  tons.  For 
each  ton  of  lignite  mined  in  1895  there  are  now  mined  nearly 
eight  tons. 

The  average  value  of  the  coal  in  1910  was  $2.51  a  ton,  at  the 
mines,  while  that  of  lignite  was  96  cents. 

In  Texas  there  are  no  very  large  coal  mines,  the  largest  pro¬ 
ducer  turning  out  about  600,000  tons  a  year.  The  smallest  out¬ 
put  in  1910  was  something  over  10,000  tons. 

There  is  one  coal  washing  establishment  in  Texas,  that  of  the 
Olmos  Coal  Company,  at  Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  county.  The 
production  of  the  Rio  Grande  Coal  Field,  comprising  the 
counties  of  Maverick  and  Webb,  in  1909,  was  183,447  tons,  val¬ 
ued  at  $536,001 ;  in  1910  it  was  215,328  tons,  valued  at  $503,375. 


8  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

The  production  of  the  North  Central  Coal  Field,  comprising 
the  counties  of  Erath,  Jack,  Parker,  Wise  and  Young,  in  1909 
was  960,661  tons,  valued  at  $2,044,990;  in  1910  it  was  913,619 
tons,  vahied  at  $2,326,014. 

For  the  further  development  of  the  coal  fields  of  Texas  four 
railroads  are  possible.  In  the  North  Central  Field  the  exten¬ 
sion  of  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Gulf  from  Graham  to  Stam¬ 
ford  would  give  a  western  outlet  for  the  coal  along  the  Clear 
Fork  of  the  Brazos.  In  the  same  field  the  extension  of  the 
Gulf,  Texas  &  Western  from  Jacksboro  to  Seymour  opens  the 
undeveloped  coal  north  of  the  Brazos  river.  The  extension 
of  the  Wichita  Falls  &  Southern  from  Newcastle  to  Brownwood, 
by  way  of  Cisco,  would  afford  another  southern  outlet  for  the 
coal  in  the  counties  of  Young,  Stephens,  Eastland  and  Brovm. 
In  the  Rio  Grande  Coal  Field  the  extension  of  the  Uvalde  & 
Crystal  Falls  Railway  to  Laredo  would  open  the  undeveloped  coal 
in  the  counties  of  Zavala  and  Dimmit. 

The  coal-producing  counties  are:  Erath,  Jack.  Palo  Pinto, 
Parker,  Wise  and  Young,  in  the  North  Central  Field  (Carbon¬ 
iferous)  and  Maverick  and  Webb  in  the  Rio  Grande  Field  (Ter¬ 
tiary)  . 

COMPOSITION  OF  TEXAS  COALS. 


In  1901-1902  an  agent  of  the  University  Mineral  Survey  was 
sent  to  all  of  the  coal  mines  for  the  purpose  of  securing  fair 
samples  of  the  coal  as  mined.  These  samples  were  placed  in 
sealed  cans  and  sent  to  the  laboratory  of  the  survey.  Detailed 
analyses  w^ere  made,  with  particular  attention  to  the  percentage 
of  moisture  in  the  coal  as  mined. 

The  samples  came  from  the  following  properties : 

No.  1518.  Rio  Grande  Coal  Co.,  Minera.  Webb  county. 

No.  1519.  Cannel  Coal  Co.,  Darwin,  Webb  county. 

No.  1520.  Maverick  County  Coal  Co.,  Eagle  Pass,  ^laverick 
county. 


No.  1521.  Rio  Bravo  Coal  Co.,  Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  county. 
No.  1522.  Wise  County  Coal  Co.,  Bridgeport.  Wise  county. 
Nos.  1523-1524.  Bridgeport  Coal  Co.,  Bridgeport,  Wise 


county. 

Nos.  1525-1526-1527.  Texas  Coal  &  Fuel  Co.,  Rock  Creek, 
Parker  county. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


9 


No. 1528.  Young  Mine,  Keeler,  Palo  Pinto  county. 

Nos.  1529-1530-1531-1532.  Texas  &  Pacific  Coal  Co.,  Tliur- 
ber,  Erath  countv. 

No.  1533.  Strawn  Coal  Mining  Co.,  Strawn,  Palo  Pinto 
county. 

No.  1534.  Smitli-Lee  Mine,  Cisco,  Eastland  county. 

The  analyses  of  these  coals,  made  by  0.  W.  Palm  and  S.  H. 
Worrell,  were  given  in  Bulletin  No.  3,  University  Mineral  Sur¬ 
vey,  May,  1902,  as  follows : 


OOMPOSmON  OP  TEXAS  COALS— SAMPLED  AT  MINES  BT  UNIVERSITY  MINERAL  SURVEY,  1901-1902. 


10 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


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T&xas  Goals  and  Lignites 


11 


The  Tertiary  Coals  here  represented  are  Nos.  1518,  1519,  1520 
and  1521,  the  two  former  from  Webb  county,  Laredo  district,  and 
the  two  latter  from  Maverick  county.  Eagle  Pass  district.  The 
Webb  county  coals  are  higher  in  volatile  and  combustible  matter 
and  sulphur,  and  lower  in  ash  and  moisture  than  the  Maverick 
county  coals,  the  fixed  carbon  being  about  the  same.  The  Ter¬ 
tiary  coals  from  these  counties  show  a  considerable  difference  in 
the  composition  of  the  ash,  as  will  appear  further  along.  The 
Carboniferous  coals.  Nos.  1522  to  1534,  inclusive,  show  a  marked 
range  in  composition.  On  the  average  they  contain  more  moist¬ 
ure,  fixed  carbon,  ash  and  sulphur,  with  less  volatile  and  com¬ 
bustible  matter  than  the  Tertiary  coals. 

From  the  composition  of  the  ash  of  the  Texas  coals  it  may  be 
concluded  that  while  the  coal  was  forming  there  were  con¬ 
siderable  variations  in  the  character  of  the  vegetation  and  in  the 
character  and  amount  of  the  sediments  washed  in.  If  we  allow 
that  the  rate  of  accumulation  of  vegetable  matter  is  100  tons  per 
acre  per  century  and  allow,  also,  for  the  differences  in  density 
and  composition,  it  is  likely  that  the  rate  of  the  formation  of  coal 
will  not  exceed  one  foot  in  10,000  years.  During  such  a  period 
there  would  probably  be  many  opportunities  for  climatic  changes 
affecting  the  character  of  the  vegetation,  and  for  changes  in  the 
nature  of  the  sediments  mixed  with  the  coal  while  was  form¬ 
ing. 

In  these  coals,  as  mined,  the  following  variations  in  composi¬ 
tion  were  observed: 


From 

To 

Average 

Moisture  . 

3.46 

13  44 

7.40 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter. 

29.17 

48.84 

34.82 

Fixed  Carbon . 

36.37 

49.17 

41.74 

Ash  . 

9.07 

24.76 

16.04* 

Sulphur  . 

1.28 

4.76 

2.19 

Carbon  . 

50.94 

70.48 

60.01 

Hydrogen  . 

3.37 

5.65 

4.25 

Oxygen  . 

2.34 

.  12.90 

8.33 

Nitrogen  . 

0.78 

3.62 

1.76 

British  Thermal  Units . 

9,609 

12,264 

11,245 

On  dry  basis  these  become : 
Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter. 

31.32 

50.70 

37.65 

Fixed  Carbon  . 

37.93 

52.01 

45.06 

Ash  . 

9.45 

26.14 

17,29 

Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


]2 


From 

To 

Average 

Sulphur  . 

.  1.28 

5.03 

2.38 

Carbon  . 

74.56 

64.79 

Hydrogen  . 

.  3.73 

5.94 

4.59 

Oxvgen  . 

.  2.58 

13.72 

9.00 

Nitrogen  . 

.  0.87 

3.75 

1.90 

British  Thermal  Units . 

....  11,101 

13,755 

12,035 

Without  eonsiderino',  for  the  present,  the  things  that  ultimately 
comprise  coal  and  lignite,  such  as  carbon,  hydrogen,  oxygen, 
nitrogen,  etc.,  we  may  regard  such  fuel  as  made  up,  essentially, 
of  five  things,  viz.,  moisture  (ordinary  water),  volatile  and  com¬ 
bustible  matter,  fixed  carbon,  ash  and  sulphur.  As  to  jnoisture, 
but  little  need  be  said.  It  is  water  which  exists  as  such  in  the 
coal  as  it  exists  in  a  great  many  things  in  nature,  in  wood, 
in  earth,  in  many  rocks,  etc.  It  is  given  off  from  coal  at  all 
ordinary  temperatures,  and  is  completely  driven  off  at  or 
a  little  above  the  boiling  point  of  Avater,  212  degrees  Fahren¬ 
heit.  It  is  of  no  value  in  the  coal,  and,  in  fact,  is  an  objec¬ 
tion,  for  it  detracts  from  the  heating  power.  An  amount  of 
coal  equivalent  to  the  amount  of  water  present  must  be  used 
to  evaporate  the  AA-ater  before  any  appreciable  heat  is  deriA^ed 
from  the  burning  of  the  coal. 

On  the  average,  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  contain  nearly 
pounds  of  Avater  in  each  one  hundred  pounds,  or  nearly  150 
pounds  in  a  ton  of  2000  pounds  (short  ton).  If  aa'o  allow 
that,  on  the  average,  it  requires  one  pound  of  these  coals  to 
evaporate  10  pounds  of  Avater  from  and  at  212  degrees  Fah¬ 
renheit  AA^e  would  have  to  use  15  pounds  of  coal  from  eveiw 
ton,  or  450  pounds  from  each  30-ton  car.  to  drive  the  moisture 
out.  This  amount  of  coal,  450  pounds  per  carload,  is  to  be 
subtracted  from  the  coal  AAhich  is  used  for  heating,  as  it  is 
employed  merely  in  drmng  the  Avater  out  of  the  coal.  We 
do  not  knoAv  Avhat  is  the  aA^erage  amount  of  water  in  our  coals 
as  they  are  received  and  used.  It  is  sometimes  a  question  of 
the  Aveather,  Avhether  the  coal  has  been  rained  on  or  not  while 
it  was  in  transit,  and  AA’hether  the  coal  is  stored  under  shelter 
or  not,  after  being  received.  But  the  storing  of  coal  brings 
up  other  questions  Avhich  are  not  pertinent  at  this  time.  The 
loss  of  heating  poAA^er  in  certain  coals  that  are  stored  for  some 
time  enters  in  here,  but  this  loss  may  be.  in  part,  counter- 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


13 


balanced  by  the  increased  dryness  of  the  coal.  The  danger 
of  spontaneous  combustion  in  stored  coal  has  also  to  be  con¬ 
sidered. 

In  the  purchase  of  coal  on  analysis  it  is  customary  to  specify 
that  the  moisture  shall  not  exceed  such  and  such  a  percentage, 
the  amount  so  allowed  varying  according  to  circumstances. 
In  comparing  one  coal  with  another  it  is  best  to  reduce  the 
analyses  to  the  same  basis,  and  the  most  convenient  one  is 
the  dry,  or  water-free,  basis.  For  practical  purposes  it  is 
necessary  to  consider  the  relative  amounts  of  water  which 
these  coals  would  contain,  as  received,  but  on  this  subject  we 
have  very  little  data.  It  is  seldom,  or  never,  the  case  that 
coal  as  received  contains  the  same  amount  of  water  as  it  did 
when  it  was  mined.  Unless  it  is  exposed  to  wet  weather,  be¬ 
tween  the  shipping  and  the  delivery  points,  coal  will  lose 
Avater  and  decrease  in  weight.  But  this  decrease  in  weight  does 
not  necessarily  imply  a  loss  in  efficiency,  looking  at  the  matter 
from  the  standpoint  of  loss  of  moisture  only.  If,  at  the  same 
time,  there  should  be  a  loss  of  volatile  and  combustible  matter, 
which  could  be  used  as  a  source  of  heat,  the  questions  raised  are 
of  a  different  sort. 

The  next  thing  that  coal  contains  is  volatile  and  combustible 
matter  which  can  be  used  as  a  source  of  heat.  Water  is  volatile 
matter,  but  it  can  not  be  used  for  heating.  The  volatile  matter 
that  coal  contains  is  also  combustible  matter,  so  we  use  the  term 
“volatile  and  combustible.” 

As  has  been  already  remarked,  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  con¬ 
tain  from  29.17  to  48.84  per  cent,  of  volatile  and  combustible 
matter,  the  average  being  34.82  per  cent.  In  other  words,  our 
coals  contain  a  little  more  than  one-third  of  their  weight  of 
volatile  and  combustible  matter. 

What  is  this  substance  ? 

To  answer  this  question  in  detail  would  take  us  into  highly 
technical  discussions,  with  which  this  publication  has  but  little 
to  do.  The  expression  “volatile  and  combustible  matter”  is 
taken  to  include  those  substances,  simple  or  complex,  which  are 
given  off  from  coal  at  temperatures  a  little  above  that  of  boil¬ 
ing  w’ater  to  full  red  heat,  with  exclusion  of  air.  The  air  must 
be  excluded  or  the  solid  matter  of  the  coal  Avill  begin  to  burn. 
If  we  take  a  finely  ground  sample  of  coal  and  heat  it  at  the 


14 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


temperature  of  boiling  water,  or  a  little  above,  it  will  lose 
weight,  and  this  loss  is  water.  If  we  take  this  same  sample 
and  heat  it  in  a  crucible  with  a  closely-fitting  cover  up  to  full 
red  heat  (about  1000  degrees  Fahrenheit)  we  get  an  additional 
loss  of  weight,  and  this  loss  is  volatile  and  combustible  matter. 
There  will  be  left  in  the  crucible  fixed  carbon  and  ash,  which 
will  be  considered  later.  This  volatile  and  combustible  matter 
is  not  a  simple  substance,  like  water,  but  is  composed  of  gases 
and  smoke.  .The  gases  vary  a  good  deal  in  composition,  and 
so,  also,  does  the  smoke,  although  not  to  so  great  an  extent. 

The  amount  and  nature,  and,  consequently,  the  value  of  this 
volatile  and  combustible  matter,  depends  on  a  number  of  things, 
among  them  being  the  nature  of  the  coal  itself,  the  size  of  the 
coal  treated,  the  rapidity  in  the  increase  of  temperature,  the 
final  temperature,  the  temperature  of  the  space  into  which  the 
products  evolved  are  carried,  the  mass  of  the  coal,  the  time  ‘ 
factor,  etc.  Most  of  the  gases  thus  obtained  are  combustible, 
but  at  times  and  under  certain  conditions  we  have,  also  water 
and  carbonic  acid,  which  are  not  combustible  at  all. 

The  term  volatile  and  combustible  matter  does  not,  there¬ 
fore,  always  mean  that  all  of  the  material  can  be  burned,  and 
thus  afford  heat.  At  times  there  are  certain  gases  evolved 
which  can  not  be  burned  again,  e.  g.,  water  and  carbonic  acid. 
If  the  coal  be  thoroughly  dried  and  water  is  afterwards  found 
as  a  part  of  the  volatile  and  combustible  matter 'it  has  doubt¬ 
less  been  produced  during  the  operation,  and  is  not  an  essential 
part  of  the  coal. 

Disregarding  the  water  and  the  carbonic  acid  (although,  at 
times,  they  are  important  factors),  the  constituents  of  the  vola¬ 
tile  and  combustible  matter  that  claim  our  attention  especially 
are  the  gases  that  can  be  burned  and  which,  thus,  are  a  source 
of  heat.  These  are  carbon  monoxide,  marsh  gas  (which  com¬ 
poses  95  per  cent  of  the  best  Texas  natural  gas),  ethane,  a 
group  of  gases  known  as  ‘‘illuminants,”  and  hydrogen.  Oxy¬ 
gen  and  nitrogen  are  also  present,  the  latter  in  considerable 
amounts  if  there  is  much  air  present. 

It  is  perfectly  true  that  “any  statement  as  to  the  character 
of  the  gases  or  volatile  products  evolved  from  coal  at  specified 
temperatures  has  little  value  unless  it  is  accompanied  by  a  clear 
description  of  the  conditions  prevailing,  and  particularly  of  the 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


15 


points  at  which  temperatures  were  taken  and  of  the  mass  of 
coal  which  was  heated.’’^ 

At  the  same  time  the  term  ■ ‘volatile  and  combustible  matter” 
is  used  by  chemists  and  by  practical  coal  men  to  designate  those 
matters  that  are  driven  off  from  coal  between  the  tempera tnrf^s 
of  boiling  water,  212  degrees  Fahrenheit,  ana  full  red  heat, 
1000  degrees  Fahrenheit,  without  considering  their  composi¬ 
tion.  The  more  strictly  scientific  aspects  of  the  case  are,  to 
some  extent,  subordinated  to  the  necessity  of  having  some  term, 
in  common  use,  for  the  substances  in  coal  which  are  neither 
water,  fixed  carbon  nor  ash.  We  know  that  these  substances 
vary  a  good  deal  in  amount  and  nature,  but  there  has  not  yet 
been  found  a  more  convenient  or  a  more  expressive  nomencla¬ 
ture  than  the  one  here  adopted. 

We  use  it  with  the  understanding  that  it  includes  some  gases 
that  are  not  combustible,  but  for  the  most  part  are  so.- 

There  is,  as  yet,  but  little  information  as  to  the  amount  and 
nature  of  the  gases  to  be  obtained  from  Texas  coals  under  speci¬ 
fied  conditions.  This  is  an  investigation  which  this  Bureau  has 
planned,  but  which  it  has  not  yet  been  able  to  carry  out.  The 
plan  outlined  is  to  study  these  coals  under  conditions  closely 
approximating  those  that  maintain  in  the  manufacture  of  ordi¬ 
nary  illuminating  and  heating  gas  and  producer-gas.  It  does 
not  so  much  involve  an  inquiry  into  what  these  gases  and  other 
products  would  be  under  varying  conditions  as  an  inquiry  into 
what  they  would  be  under  specified  conditions,  approximating 
those  in  current  practice.  It  would  include  the  determination 
of  the  amount  and  nature  of  the  gas,  with  respect  to  its  illumi¬ 
nating  and  heating  power,  and  the  amount  and  nature  of  the 
tar,  ammoniacal  liquor  and  coke. 

It  is  expected  that  this  work  will  begin  during  the  coming 
summer  and  be  prosecuted  vigorously,  the  results  being  given 
in  another  Bulletin.  There  is  practically  no  information  on 
these  points,  and  that  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  since  1895  we 
have  produced  nearly  12,000,000  tons  of  coal,  valued  at  more 
than  $25,000,000. 

The  third  item  to  be  considered  is  fixed  carbon.  This  is  the 
substance,  less  the  ash,  which  is  left  after  the  moisture  and  the 

^Horace  K.  Porter  and  F.  K.  Ovitz,  in  Bull.  No.  1,  Bureau  of  Mines, 
Department  of  the  Interior,  1910,  p.  55, 


If)  liuUetin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

volatile  and  eombustible  matter  have  been  removed  from  coal. 

It  is  the  solid  matter  in  coal,  less  the  ash,  and  for  our  pur¬ 
poses  may  be  considered  as  carbon.  There  is  other  carbon  in 
coal,  but  this  has  gone  off  as  ^as  and  smoke,  and  what  is  left  is 
not  volatile. 

In  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  the  fixed  carbon  varies  from  36.37 
to  49.17  per  cent.,  the  average  bein^  41.74  per  cent.  In  com¬ 
parison  with  many  other  bituminous  (soft)  coals  this  amount 
is  low,  Alabama,  Pennsylvania  and  Oklahoma  coals  carrying 
from  55  to  60  per  cent,  and  New  Mexico  coal  from  50  to  55  per 
cent.  One  reason  why  Texas  coals  do  not  make  good  coke  is 
because  the  amount  of  fixed  carbon  is  so  low.  The  yield  of 
coke  from  coal  is  very  close  to  the  amount  of  fixed  carbon  in 
the  coal.  When  we  connect  this  fact  with  the  further  fact 
that  our  coals  carry  almost  twice  as  much  ash  and  sulphur  as 
good  coking  coal  should  carry,  we  may  begin  to  understand 
why  our  coals  are  not  used  for  making  coke.  Our  coals  carry 
about  the  same  amount  of  volatile  and  combustible  matter  as 
do  the  coking  coals  of  Alabama,  Pennsylvania,  Oklahoma  and 
New  Mexico,  and  there  is,  perhaps,  not  a  marked  difference  in 
the  nature  of  this  matter,  but  those  coals  make  good  coke,  while 
Texas'  coals  do  not,  under  ordinary  bee-hive  conditions.  It  is 
possible  that  a  better  coke  could  be  made  in  by-product,  or  re¬ 
covery,  ovens,  where  the  coking  conditions  are  markedly  differ¬ 
ent  from  those  in  bee-hive  ovens,  but  we  have  no  information  on 
this  subject  with  respect  to  Texas  coals.  Attempts  to  lower  the 
amount  of  ash  and  sulphur  by  washing  the  coal,  preparatory  to 
coking,  have  not  been  successful  here.  There  was  a  very  consid¬ 
erable  loss  of  coal,  due  to  insufficient  differences  in  specific 
gravity,  without  a  counterbalancing  improvement  in  the  coke. 
The  washing  of  coal  is  carried  on  in  this  State  at  one  establish¬ 
ment,  that  of  the  Olmos  Coal  Company,  at  Eagle  Pass,  and 
three  grades  of  washed  coal  are  prepared,  egg,  nut  and  pea, 
but  the  coal  is  not  used  for  coking. 

So  far  as  now  known,  there  is  no  good  coking  coal  in  Texas, 
although  it  is  reported  that  one  of  the  seams  in  the  San  Carlos 
Coal  Field,|  Presidio  county,  gives  a  fair  coking  coal.  There 
are  no  developments  in  this  field  at  present,  nor  has  any  work 
been  done  there  since  1895.  (See  this  Bulletin,  p.  34.) 

When  the  fixed  carbon  in  coal  is  biirned  there  is  left  ash,  or 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


17 


the  mineral  constituents  of  the  coal.  In  Texas  coals,  as  mined, 
the  ash  varies  from  9.07  to  24.76  per  cent.,  the  average  being 
16.04  per  cent.  In  1902  the  University  Mineral  Survey  made 
detailed  analyses  of  the  ash  of  Texas  coals,  and  it  has  not  been 
thought  necessary  to  repeat  this  work.  The  following  table 
gives  the  results  of  these  analyses : 


COMPOSITION  OF  THE  ASH  OF  TEXAS  COALS 


Anal.  No. 

Silica. 

Alumina. 

Oxide  of 
Iron. 

Lime. 

Mag¬ 

nesia. 

Oxide  of 
Mangan¬ 
ese. 

Sulnhuric 

Acid. 

Per-  cent, 
of  Ash  in 
Coal  as 
Mined. 

1518 _ 

42.08 

24.79 

23.03 

4.69 

none 

1.75 

4.57 

9.07 

1510 

44.48 

35.62 

14.74 

2.56 

trace 

3.52 

11.09 

1520  _ 

65.34 

30.04 

3.38 

0.91 

0.36 

0.80 

0.80 

17.43 

i55n 

62.72 

24.56 

9.84 

0.64 

0.70 

trace 

18.11 

__ 

34.16 

24.73 

13.56 

16.08 

12.19 

12.80 

1523  _ 

34.32 

14.62 

22.94 

14.85 

1.42 

1.16 

10.97 

14.74 

1624  _ 

34.46 

14.10 

13.26 

22.08 

1.43 

trace 

12.87 

11.32 

1525  _ 

50.50 

24.46 

15.40 

4.21 

trace 

trace 

2.84 

15.42 

159.6 

52.88 

32.20 

13.56 

1.16 

trace 

trace 

16.18 

159.7 

47.20 

17.88 

28.02 

1.35 

1.47 

trace 

21.51 

159S 

32.50 

32.40 

20.64 

6.68 

trace 

6.64 

24.76 

1520 

52.06 

41.12 

4.00 

1.08 

1.50 

1.67 

19.70 

15.30 

48  04 

43.92 

3.68 

2.16 

trace 

0.84 

9.71 

15.31 

48.20 

26.20 

22.02 

0.81 

1.34 

0.96 

17.82 

1532 

49.12 

25.71 

24.37 

trace 

trace 

15.53 

1533 

54.34 

13 .19 

28.02 

1.56 

2.25 

2.32 

22.18 

15S4  _ 

29.14 

15.56 

13.42 

20.73 

1.91 

trace 

15.00 

15.33 

Average  — 

45.97 

25.94 

16.11 

5.97 

0.73 

0.22 

4.42 

16.04 

The  Tertiary  coals,  from  the  Rio  Grande  Field,  are  Nos.  1518, 
1519,  1520,  1521,  the  first  two  being  from  Webb  county,  La¬ 
redo  district,  and  the  last  two  from  Maverick  county,  Easle 
Pass  district.  The  ash  of  these  coals  shows  a  considerable  dif¬ 
ference  in  composition.  The  Webb  county  coals  are  low  in 
silica  and  high  in  oxide  of  iron,  with  a  medium  content  of 
alumina,  lime  and  sulphuric  acid.  The  Maverick  county  coals 
are  high  in  silica  and  low  in  oxide  of  iron  and  sulphuric  acid. 
As  these  coals  are  supposed  to  be  of  the  same  geological  age 
and  to  have  been  formed  under  relatively  the  same  conditions, 
we  may  infer  that  the  vegetation  from  which  they  were  made 
was  of  a  different  character,  and  that  the  in-wash  of  sediments 
varied  a  good  deal. 

The  coals  of  the  Carboniferous  formation  also  show  consid¬ 
erable  differences  with  respect  to  the  composition  of  the  ash, 
and  this  likewise  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  the  character 
of  the  vegetation  varied  a  good  deal  during  the  coal-forming 


2 — T.  C. 


18 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


period.  In  these  coals  the  silica  varies  from  29.14  to  54.34  per 
cent. ;  the  alumina  from  13.10  to  32.40  per  cent. ;  the  oxide  of 
iron  from  3.68  to  28.02  per  cent. ;  the  lime  from  a  trace  to  22.08 
per  cent. ;  the  magnesia  from  a  trace  to  2.25  per  cent.,  and  the 
sulphuric  acid  (combined  not  free)  from  a  trace  to  15.00  per 
cent. 

It  is  impossible  to  observe  these  analyses  without  reaching 
the  conclusion  that  the  character  of  the  coal-forming  vegeta- 
tion  changed  a  good  deal  during  Carboniferous  times,  from 
plants  which  secreted  a  comparatively  small  amount  of  silica 
to  those  secreting  a  large  amount.  This  observation  also  holds 
true  with  respect  to  the  oxide  of  iron,  alumina,  lime  and  sul¬ 
phuric  acid,  for  the  composition  of  the  ash  of  coal  is  closely 
related  to  that  of  the  plants  from  which  the  coal  was  made. 
Of  course,  the  washing  in  of  sediments  which  became  mechan¬ 
ically  mixed  with  the  decaying  vegetation  has  also  to  be  consid¬ 
ered,  but,  aside  from  this,  the  ash  of  coal  is  largely  the  ash  of 
the  plants  forming  the  coal.  There  are  many  interesting 
things  found  in  the  ash  of  coal,  besides  those  already  given, 
and  in  two  Texas  coals,  both  from  Thurber,  Erath  county, 
copper  was  found  in  very  small  amounts.  In  a  speculative 
way  the  occurrence  of  copper  in  the  ash  of  these  coals  may  be 
connected  with  the  occurrence  of  copper  in  the  Permian  beds 
which  lie  to  the  west  of  the  Carboniferous  formation  in  Texas, 
and  which  are  geologically  above  this  formation. 

For  domestic  purposes,  where  no  great  heat  is  required,  more 
consideration  is  given  to  the  quantity  of  ash  in  coal  than  to  its 
fusibility.  For  boiler  use,  however,  the  fusibility  (clinkering)  of 
coal  is  a  factor  of  great  importance.  Coal  that  clinkers  badly,  i. 
e.,  coal  that  has  an  easily  fusible  ash,  is  almost  sure  to  give  more 
or  less  trouble.  It  clings  to  the  grate-bars,  interferes  with  the 
draft  and  causes,  at  times,  serious  lo.sses.  Such  clinkering 
troubles  generally  attend  the  use  of  coal  whose  ash  is  high  in 
oxide  of  iron.  On  the  contrary,  coals  whose  ash  is  composed 
chiefly  of  silica  and  alumina,  or  silica,  alumina  and  lime,  do 
not  clinker  so  readily.  As  a  rule,  red  ash  coals  clinker  much 
more  easily  than  white  or  gray  ash  coals. 

The  design  and  construction  of  the  grate  and  fire-box  and 
the  method  of  firing  have  also  a  good  deal  to  do  with  clinker- 
ing. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


19 


We  have  thus  far  considered  as  briefly  as  possible  four  of 
the  five  things  that  comprise  coal,  moisture,  volatile  and  com¬ 
bustible  matter,  fixed  carbon  and  ash.  In  addition  to  these, 
and  forming  a  part  of  the  volatile  and  combustible  matter  is 
sulphur. 

This  may  exist  in  coal  as  a  sulphide  (chiefly  sulphide  of 
iron,  or  pyrite),  as  a  sulphate  (chiefly  as  sulphate  of  lime,  gyp¬ 
sum)  and  in  certain  obscure  organic  compounds  whose  nature 
is  not  clearly  understood. 

On  burning  coal  a  part  of  the  sulphur  is  removed  and  a  part 
remains,  the  proportions  varying  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  coal,  the  method  of  combustion,  etc.  As  a  rule,  the  sul¬ 
phur  in  organic  combination  is  removed,  going  off  in  the  vola¬ 
tile  and  combustible  matter,  the  sulphur  in  the  pyrite  present 
is  partly  removed,  while  the  sulphur  in  the  sulphates  is  hardly 
affected.  In  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  the  sulphur  varies  from 
1.28  to  4.76  per  cent.,  the  average  being  2.19  per  cent.  No  in¬ 
vestigations  were  made  to  determine  the  character  of  the  sul¬ 
phur-bearing  compounds  in  Texas  coals.  Some  of  them,  e.  g., 
the  coal  from  the  old  Young  Mine,  at  Keeler,  Palo  Pinto  county, 
from  one  of  the  seams  at  Thurber,  Erath  county,  and  from  Rock 
Creek,  Parker  county,  carry  sulphur  varying  from  4.76  to  2.82, 
considerably  above  the  average  of  the  State  at  large. 

Sulphur  in  coal,  even  up  to  5  per  cent.,  is  not  as  injurious  to 
boilers  as  is  commonly  supposed. 

The  five  things  in  coal  that  have  now  been  considered  com¬ 
prise  what  is  known  as  the  proximate  composition  and  the  analy¬ 
sis  that  determines  them  is  called  a  ‘  ‘  proximate  analysis.  ’  ’  When 
we  go  further  and  determine  the  elemental  composition  of  coal, 
the  analysis  is  called  an  ‘‘ultimate  analysis.’’  In  this,  as  in  the 
proximate  analysis,  we  determine  the  moisture,  ash  and  sulphur, 
but  instead  of  the  volatile  and  combustible  matter  and  fixed  car- 
.bon  there  is  determined  the  amount  of  carbon,  hydrogen,  oxygen 
and  nitrogen,  as  separate  items. 

\ 

This  has  also  been  done  for  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  and  the  re¬ 
sults  are  given  in  the  Table  on  p.  10.  The  carbon  varies  from 
50.94  to  70.48  per  cent.,  the  average  being  60.01  per  cent.  The 
average  percentage  of  fixed  carbon  in  these  coals,  as  by  proxi¬ 
mate  analysis,  is  41.74,  but  the  percentage  of  carbon  is  60.01, 


20 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


which  means  that  there  is  a  loss  of  carbon  in  the  volatile  and 
combustible  matter.  The  ultimate  analysis  recovers  this. 

.The  hydrogen  varies  from  3.37  to  5.65  per  cent.,  the  average 
being  4.25  per  cent. 

The  oxygen  varies  from  2.34  to  12.90  per  cent.,  the  average 
being  8.32  per  cent. 

The  nitrogen  varies  from  0.78  to  3.62  per  cent.,  the  average 
being  1.76  per  cent.. 

A  number  of  years  ago  the  term  “disposable  hydrogen”  was 
introduced  in  coal  analyses,  and  it  meant  the  hydrogen  that 
remained  after  calculating  all  of  the  oxygen  present  as  water, 
and  deducting  from  the  total  hydrogen  the  hydrogen  in  this 
amount  of  water 

The  amount  of  this  disposable  hydrogen  was  supposed  to  has^e 
an  important  bearing  on  the  value  of  the  coal  for  gas-making. 
Be  this  as  it  may,  we  have  calculated  the  percentages  of  dispos¬ 
able  hydrogen  in  Texas  coals  on  a  dry  basis.  Thie  results  are  as 
follows : 


Analysis  No. 

Total 

Hydrogen. 

Disposable  Hydrogen. 

Per  Cent. 

Per  Cent, 
of  Total. 

1 

4.17 

2.66 

63.79 

63 _ _  _ 

5.09 

3.60 

70.72 

9.  ...  . 

4.40 

3.27 

74.32 

8 . . . .  . 

5.65 

4.42 

78.23 

4 _  _  . 

4.83 

3.23 

66.87 

5 _ _ 

5.08 

3.39 

66.73 

6 _  _ 

4.14 

2.97 

71.74 

11 _  _ 

4.92 

3.64 

74.00 

S2 _  _ 

4.63 

3.41 

73.65  ■ 

33  _  _ 

4.40 

3.43 

77.95 

42 _ _ — 

4.04 

2.33 

57.67 

43 _ 

3.73 

2.29 

61.39 

60 _ _ _ _ 

4.00 

2.66 

66.50 

61.. _ _  _ 

4.13 

2.30 

55.69 

52 _ 

4.20 

2.48 

59.00 

8 _ _ 

5.72 

4.23 

73.95 

7 

4.85 

3.71 

76.49 

9 _ _ 

5.15 

4.15 

80.58 

10-  . . - . 

5.35 

4.03 

75.33 

37 _  _ 

3.77 

2.56 

67.90 

11 _ 1 _ 1 _ _ 

4.67 

3.27 

70.02 

Average  -  _  — 

4.66 

3.24 

69.53 

For  the  key  to  these  numbers  see  page  27. 

For  a  similar  table  for  lignite  see  page  51. 

In  these  coals  the  disposable  hydrogen  varies  from  2.29  (Olmos 
mine-run),  to  4.42  per  cent.  (Cannel  Coal  Company),  the 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


21 


average  being  3.24  per  cent.  Expressed  as  percentage  of  the 
total  hydrogen,  the  range  is  from  55.69  (Olmos  washed  nut)  to 
80.58  per  cent.  (Strawn  Coal  Mining  Company). 

There  is  a  remarkable  difference  between  the  coals  and  the 
lignites  not  only  with  respect  to  the  amount  of  the  disposable 
hydrogen,  but  also  with  respect  to  its  percentage  of  the  total 
hydrogen. 

The  much  larger  amount  of  oxygen  which  the  lignites  con¬ 
tain,  in  comparison  with  the  coals,  leaves  a  proportionately 
smaller  amount  of  hydrogen  for  the  hydrocarbons  and  free  hy¬ 
drogen. 

Whether  or  no  the  amount  of  disposable  hydrogen  in  coai 
may  be  taken  as  an  index  of  its  value  for  gas-making  is  a  ques¬ 
tion  yet  to  be  decided  with  respect  to  our  coals,  under  standard 
conditions.  It  is  a  part  of  the  investigation  planned  and  already 
begun. 

The  part  that  oxygen  plays  in  coal  has  been  the  subject  of  much 
investigation.  It  is  a  highly  technical  matter,  and  need  not  con¬ 
cern  us  now.  It  may  suffice  to  say  that  it  affects  the  gas-making 
qualities  of  coal  by  influencing  the  amount  of  hydrogen  avail¬ 
able  for  the  formation  of  the  hydrocarbons  and  of  free  hydro¬ 
gen.  The  larger  the  amount  of  oxygen  present,  if  we  al¬ 
low  that  all  of  it  has  to  combine  with  hydrogen  as  water,  the  less 
hydrogen  will  there  be  for  the  formation  of  useful  compounds 
in  the  gas.  It  may  be  possible  that  the  water  thus  formed  is 
resolved  into  its  constituent  gases  at  higher  temperatures,  and 
in  the  presence  of  free  carbon.  We  need  not,  however,  go  into 
such  matters  now. 

The  Table  giving  the  disposable  hydrogen  in  the  coals  should 
be  compared  with  a  similar  Table  for  lignites  on  page  51. 

The  nitrogen  in  coal  is  an  important  constituent  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  recovery  of  by-products.  From  it  can  be  made 
ammonium  sulphate,  which  is  the  starting  point  in  the  manu¬ 
facture  of  many  other  ammonia  compounds,  anhydrous  ammo¬ 
nia,  etc. 

The  percentage  of  nitrogen  in  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  varies 
from  0.78,  as  in  a  Maverick  county  coal,  to  3.62,  as  in  a  Webb 
county  coal.  The  Tertiary  coals  show  the  highest  and  the  low¬ 
est  percentages  of  nitrogen.  In  the  Carboniferous  coals  the  range 
is  from  1.07,  as  in  a  Wise  county  coal,  to  2.74,  as  in  a  Palo  Pinto 


22 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


county  coal.  The  proportion  of  the  total  nitrogen  in  coal  that 
is  recoverable  as  ammonia  varies  within  wide  limits,  and  it  is 
practically  impossible  to  give  a  general  average.  The  yield  of 
sulphate  of  ammonia  per  ton  of  coal  has  varied  from  7  pounds, 
as  in  the  Jameson  producer,  to  70.6  pounds,  as  in  the  Mond  pro¬ 
ducer,  using  coal  with  1.50  per  cent,  of  nitrogen.  The  nature 
of  the  coal  and  the  method  of  treatment  determine  the  yield  of 
sulphate  of  ammonia,  and  there  is  such  a  diversity  here  that  no 
general  rule  can  be  given.  But  under  ordinary  conditions  of 
gas-making  a  yield  of  from  20  to  25  pounds  of  sulphate  of  am¬ 
monia  per  ton  of  coal  is  within  the  limits  of  current  practice. 

Some  authorities^  have  stated  that  14.50  per  cent,  of  the  total 
nitrogen  may  be  given  off  as  ammonia,  1.56  per  cent,  as  cyan¬ 
ogen,  35.26  per  cent,  remaining  as  elementary  nitrogen,  and 
48.68  per  cent,  being  held  in  the  coke. 

It  will  doubtless  be  some  years  before  there  is  much  interest 
in  the  recovery  of  by-products  from  Texas  coals.  The  coal 
treated  in  retorts  for  making  gas  does  not  cut  much  figure  in 
the  trade,  inasmuch  as  oil  and  water  gas  and  natural  gas  are 
the  chief  gaseous  fuels  at  present.  Thie  recovery  of  by-products 
from  producer-gas  is  not  now  commercially  attractive,  chiefly 
on  account  of  the  lack  of  a  central  plant  to  which  the  concen¬ 
trated  ammoniacal  liquors  could  be  sent  for  treatment.  The 
total  quantity  of  such  liquors  produced  in  the  State  is  not 
known,  but  the  distances  separating  the  different  establishments 
are  such  as  to  forbid  the  assembling  of  the  liquor. 

In  1908  the  total  value  of  all  of  the  products  from  gas  works 

« 

and  recovery  ovens,  using  coal,  in  the  United  States  was  $64,- 
660,040,  which  value  was  $8,912,964  less  than  for  the  year  1907. 
In  1907  the  last  returns  available,  the  amount  of  coal  carbon¬ 
ized  in  Texas  in  7  establishments,  was  28,282  tons,  and  the 
quantity  of  gas  produced  was  251,233,400  cubic  feet.  Of  this 
quantity,  53,281,311  cubic  feet  were  sold  for  illuminating  pur- 
'poses,  the  price  per  1000  cubic  feet  being  $1.66.  There  were 
sold  for  fuel  purposes  167,885,909  cubic  feet  at  $1.33  per  thou¬ 
sand.  The  total  quantit}^  of  coal  gas  sold  was  221,167,220  cubic 
feet,  at  an  average  price  of  $1.41  per  thousand.  The  quantity 
of  gas  unaccounted  for  was  30,06,6,180  cubic  feet. 


'J.  D.  Pennock,  Trans.  Amer.  Inst.  Min.  Engrs.,Vol.  XXI,  p.  808. 


T&xas  Coals  and  Lignites 


23 


In  the  same  year,  1907,  the  quantity  of  oil  and  water  gas 
produced  in  Texas,  in  10  establishments,  was  591,644,500  cubic 
feet.  Of  this  quantity  191,529,803  cubic  feet  were  sold  for 
illuminating  purposes,  at  $1.35  per  thousand,  and  335,849,977 
cubic  feet  were  sold  for  fuel  purposes,  at  $1.27  per  thousand. 
The  total  quantity  of  oil  and  water  gas  sold  was  527,379,780 
cubic  feet,  at  $1.30  per  thousand.  The  quantity  of  gas  un¬ 
accounted  for  was  64,264,720  cubic  feet.  The  total  quantity  of 
gas  made  in  Texas  in  1907  was  thus  842,877,900  cubic  feet,  of 
which  251,233,400  cubic  feet,  or  29.81  per  cent.,  were  coal  gas  . 
and  591,644,500  cubic  feet,  or  70.19  per  cent.,  were  oil  and  water 
gas.  The  total  quantity  of  gas  sold  for  illuminating  purposes 
was  243,811,114  cubic  feet,  of  which  52,281,311  cubic  feet,  or 
21.03  per  cent.,  were  made  from  coal,  and  191,5^9,803  cubic  feet 
or  78.97  per  cent.,  were  oil  and  water  gas.  The  total  quantity 
of  gas  sold  for  fuel  purposes  was  503,735,886  cubic  feet,  of  which 
167,885,909  cubic  feet,  or  33.33  per  cent.,  were  made  from  coal, 
and  335,849,977  cubic  feet  or  66.67  per  cent.,  were  oil  and  water 
gas. 

Of  the  total  gas  for  illuminating  purposes  coal  gas  comprised 
21.03  per  cent.,  while  it  comprised  33.33  per  cent,  of  the  gas 
sold  for  fuel  purposes. 

These  statistics  are  from  returns  made  to  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey,  and  are  entirely  exclusive  of  natural  gas. 

In  1907  seven  establishments  in  Texas  produced  225,394  gal¬ 
lons  of  coal-tar,  valued  at  $12,707,  or  5.6  cents  a  gallon.  The 
yield  of  tar  per  ton  of  coal  was  7.97  gallons. 

The  production  of  gas-coke,  in  1907,  was  12,049  tons.  No  am¬ 
monia  compounds  were  produced.  The  yield  of  coal-gas  per  ton 
of  coal  carbonized  was  12,411  cubic  feet. 

There  are  no  statistics  available  on  the  heating  or  illuminating 
power  of  this  coal-gas,  nor  on  the  character  or  source  of  the 
coal  carbonized.  We  do  not  know  how  much  of  the  coal  made 
into  gas  was  Texas  coal,  nor  what  the  prospects  are,  if  any,  for 
the  use  of  these  coals  in  this  direction. 

But  if  all  of  the  coal  thus  used  had  come  from  Texas  it  would 
have  formed  a  very  small  proportion  of  the  total  coal  produc¬ 
tion,  and  in  total  value  at  the  mines  would  not  have  exceeded 
$75,000. 

The  strong  tendency,  in  gas-making,  is  towards  oil  and  water 


24 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

gas,  not  towards  coal-gas.  With  respect  to  gas-making,  the  best 
outlook  for  both  coal  and  lignite  is  in  the  direction  of  producer- 
gas  to  be  used  direct  as  fuel,  or  in  gas-engines  for  power.  The 
investigations  which  have  been  begun  by  this  Bureau  along  these 
lines  are  particularly  pertinent  at  this  time. 

HEAT  VALUE  OF  TEXAS  COALS. 

The  heat  value  of  fuels  is  expressed  in  British  Thermal  Units. 
(B.  T.  U.)  This  term  signifies  the  amount  of  heat  required  to 
raise  the  temperature  of  one  pound  of  water  from  50  degrees 
to  51  degrees  Fahrenheit.  It  is  equivalent  to  the  expression, 

'  ‘  pound  degree.  ’  ’ 

The  term  British  Thermal  Unit  is  employed  in  England  and 
the  United  States.  In  Continental  Europe  the  term  calorie  is 
used.  If  this  word  is  speUed  with  a  capital  it  signifies  the 
amount  of  heat  necessar^^  to  raise  a  kilogram  of  water  (2.22 
pounds)  from  0  to  1  degree  Centigrade.  If  it  is  spelled  with  a 
small  letter  it  signifies  the  amount  of  heat  necessary  to  raise  the 
temperature  of  one  gram  of  water  from  0  to  1  degree  Centigrade. 
The  expressions  large  calorie  and  small  calorie  are  also  used. 

The  expression  “pound  calorie”  is  sometimes  used,  and  it 
means  the  amount  of  heat  necessary  to  raise  the  temperature  of 
one  pound  of  water  from  0  to  1  degree  Centigrade. 

The  large  calorie  is  equal  to  3.968  British  Thermal  Units,  the 
small  calorie  to  1.802  B.  T.  U.  The  pound  calorie  is  equal  to 
9/5  of  a  British  Thermal  Unit. 

In  this  publication  we  use  the  British  Thermal  Unit,  and  not 
the  calorie,  as  it  is  customary  among  engineers  and  practical 
operators  to  employ  the  British  rather  than  the  French  system. 
The  term  British  Thermal  Unit  is  well  understood,  and  has  a 
definite  meaning,  whereas,  if  one  uses  the  calorie  he  has  to 
specify  which  calorie  is  to  be  taken,  the  large  or  the  small  one. 

In  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  the  heat  value  varies  from  9,609 
B.  ,T.  U.  as  in  coal  from  the  old  Smith-Lee  Mine,  Cisco,  East- 
land  county,  to  12,264,  as  in  coal  from  Thurber,  Erath  county. 
The  general  average  is  11,245. 

All  of  the  determinations  were  made  with  a  Parr  Standard 
Calorimeter,  and  represent  the  average  of  at  least  two  separate 
estimations.. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


25 


Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  secure  a  formula  by  which 
the  heating  power  could  be  calculated  from  the  analysis  so  as 
to  avoid  the  labor  and  expense  of  actual  determinations.  Two 
of  the  best  known  of  such  formulas  are  the  Goutal  for  proxi¬ 
mate  and  the  DuLong  for  ultimate  analyses. 

The  Goutal  formula  is 

^  14670C+AM,  , 

P=  •  _  where 

100 

P=heating  power 
C=fixed  carbon 

M=volatile  and  combustible  matter. 

A=a  constant  varying  with  the  value  of  M.  Thus 
when  2  to  15  A=23400 
when  M=15  to  30  A=18000 
when  Mi=30  to  35  A—17100 
when  Mr=35  to  40  A=16200 

The  original  Goutal  formula  did  not  extend  the  value  of  M 
beyond  40,  so  that  in  applying  it  to  some  of  the  Texas  coals  and 
lignites  it  was  necessary  to  interpolate  the  values  for  A  when 
M— 40  to  45,  45  to  50,  50  to  55  and  55  to  60.  The  interpolated 
values  are  15300,  14400,  13500  and  12600,  respectively.  For 
calculating  the  heat  value  from  an  ultimate  analysis  a  modifi¬ 
cation  of  the  DuLong  formula  was  used,  viz. : 

P=14600C+62000(H— ^ +4000S, 

O 

Where 

P=heating  power 
C=percentage  of  carbon 
H=Percentage  of  hydrogen 
0=percentage  of  oxygen 
S=percentage  of  sulphur. 

We  have  calculated  out  the  heating  power  of  Texas  coals,  both 
from  the  proximate  and  the  ultimate  analysis,  and  give  the  re¬ 
sults  in  the  following  Table,  together  with  the  heating  power  as 
actually  determined,  and  the  theoretical  evaporation  in  pounds 
of  water  from  and  at  212  degrees  Fahrenheit  per  pound  of  dry 
coal. 


26 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


CALCULATED  HEAT  UNITS  IN  TEXAS  COALS  AND  THEORETICAL  EVAPORA¬ 
TION  OF  WATER  PER  POUND  OF  COAL— DRY  BASIS. 


Theoretical 

Evaporation 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U.  in  Pounds  of 


Analysis  No. 

Calculated. 

i 

1 

1 

1 

1  Determined. 

Water  from 
and  at  212*  F 
per  Pound  of 
Coal.  From 
Det’d  B.  T. 
U. 

From 

Proximate 

Analysis. 

From 

Ultimate 

Analysis. 

1 . . . 

12,489 

10,303 

10,213 

10.57 

68  _ 

12,515 

11,233 

10,970 

11.35 

2  .  _  _ 

13,088 

11,601 

11,196 

11.58 

t . .  . 

12,860 

13,187 

12,604 

13.04 

i _ _ 

13,294 

11,906 

11,695 

12.10 

6 . .  . 

14,818 

13,072 

12,527 

12.96 

«  . . 

11,624 

10,003 

9,636 

9.97 

81 . . . 

12,682 

11,657 

11,545 

11.94 

82 _ _ _ _ 

12,026 

10,940 

10,807 

11.18 

83  _ _ 

11,495 

10,537 

10,412 

10.77 

42 _ _ 

11,082 

8,819 

10,200 

10.55 

43 . . .  . 

11,044 

8,902 

11,000 

U.38 

60 _ 1.. . . 

11,699 

9,881 

10,380 

10.74 

51  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

12,218 

9,742 

10,720 

11.09 

62 _ _ 

12,802 

10,630 

11,412 

11.81 

8 . 

12,399 

12,328 

11,740 

12.12 

7  _  _  _ 

13,879 

12,723 

12,410 

12.84 

f  _ 

13,685 

12,904 

12,265 

12.69 

10 . . .  . 

13,664 

12,965 

12,526 

12.96 

87 . . . . .  . 

11,907 

10,457 

10,510 

10.87 

11  _  _  --  - 

13,007  , 

11,409 

11,269 

U.66 

Average  _  - 

12,582  1 

U,200 

11,240 

1 

11.63 

On  the  average  the  calculated  heat  units  from  the  proximate 
analysis,  using  Goutal’s  formula,  are  10.67  per  cent,  higher  than 
the  heat  units  determined  by  calorimeter,  while  the  heat  units 
calculated  from  the  ultimate  analysis,  using  DuLong’s  formula, 
are  practically  the  same  as  the  results  from  the  calorimeter. 


SPECIFIC  GRAVITY  AND  VTEIGHT  PER  CUBIC  FOOT 


The  specific  gravity  of  Texas  coals,  as  mined,  varies  from 
1.02,  as  in  a  coal  from  Erath  county,  to  1.51,  as  in  a  coal  from 
Maverick  county.  The  Tertiary  coals,  from  IMaverick  and  Webb 
counties  (Rio  Grande  Field)  vary  in  specific  gravity  from  1.24 
•  to  1.51,  the  average  being  1.33.  The  variation  in  the  Carbon¬ 
iferous  coals  is  from  1.02  to  1.39,  the  average  being  1.29. 

On  a  dry  basis  the  variation  in  the  Tertiary  coals  is  from  1.29 
to  1.62,  the  average  being  1.41,  and  in  the  Carboniferous  coals 
from  1.10  to  1.62,  the  average  being  1.39. 

On  a  dry  basis  the  weight  per  cubic  foot  in  the  Tertiary  coals 
varies  from  80.6  to  101.2  pounds,  the  average  being  87.8 


T&xas  Goals  and  Lignites 


27 


pounds.  In  the  Carboniferous  coals,  dry  basis,  the  variation  is 
from  68.7  to  101.2  pounds,  the  average  being  87.4  pounds. 

The  general  average  weight  of  all  the  coals,  as  mined,  is  81.1 
pounds  per  cubic  foot  and  87.5  pounds  on  a  dry  basis. 

We  have  thus  -far  considered  the  composition  of  Texas 
coals  as  represented  by  samples  taken  at  the  mines.  These  sam¬ 
ples  were  secured  in  1901-1902  and  analyzed  at  that  time.  Be¬ 
ginning  in  the  fall  of  1910  and  continuing  into  the  spring  of 
1911,  we  solicited  samples  from  the  operating  companies.  The 
cans  sent  were  provided  with  closely-fitting  covers,  but  were 
not  sealed.  The  moisture  was  determined  at  once  upon  receipt 
of  the  samples,  so  that  there  was  very  little,  if  any,  loss  of 
moisture  from  the  samples.  One  or  two  of  the  larger  samples 
came  in  closely-nailed  boxes. 

By  making  analyses  of  these  company  samples  and  compar¬ 
ing  the  results  with  those  obtained  from  our  own  samples  it  was 
hoped  that  we  would  arrive  at  a  fair  statement  of  the  composi¬ 
tion  of  Texas  coals.  But  few  samples  were  taken  at  points  of 
delivery  and  consumption,  as  we  had  not  the  means  to  do  this. 

Following  is  the  description  of  the  samples  received : 

No.  1.  Belknap  Coal  Co.,  Newcastle,  Young  county. 

No.  53.  Belknap  Coal  Co.,  Newcastle,  Young  county. 

No.  2.  Bridgeport  Coal  Co.,  Bridgeport,  Wise  county. 

No.  3.  Cannel  Coal  Co.,  Laredo,  Webb  county. 

No.  4.  International  Coal  Mines  Co.',  Eagle  Pass,  Maverick 
county. 

No.  5.  International  Coal  Mines  Co.  Eagle  Pass,  Maverick 
county.  Special. 

No.  6.  Nos.  6,  31,  32,  33,  50,  51  and  52.  Olmos  Coal  Co., 
Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  county. 

No.  31.  Washed  egg. 

No.  32.  Washed  nut. 

No.  33.  Washed  pea. 

No.  50.  Washed  pea. 

No.  51.  Washed  nut. 

No.  52.  Washed  egg. 

No.  42.  Olmos  washed  nut.  Sampled  at  McNeil,  Texas. 

No.  43.  Olmos  run-of-mines.  Sampled  at  McNeil,  Texas. 

No.  8.  Pio  Grande  Coal  Co.,  Laredo,  Webb  county. 


28 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


No.  7.  Santo  Mining  &  Developing  Co.,  Weatherford,  Par¬ 
ker  county. 

No.  9.  Stravui  Coal  Mining  Co.,  Strawn,  Palo  Pinto  county. 

No.  10.  Texas  &  Pacific  Coal  Co.,  Thurber,  Erath  county. 

No.  37.  Stewart  Creek  Coal  Co.,  Jermyn,  Jack  county. 

No.  11.  Wise  County  Coal  Co.,  Bridgeport,  Wise  county. 

Nos.  42  and  43  were  Olmos  coal,  sampled  at  the  works  of  the 
Austin  White  Lime  Company,  McNeil,  Travis  county,  where  pro¬ 
ducer  gas  was  made  for  use  in  burning  lime.  Olmos  run-of-mines, 
as  represented  by  analysis  No.  43,  is  no  longer  marketed,  all  of 
the  product  being  washed.  The  analyses  of  these  coals  follow: 


COMPOSITION  OP  TEXAS  OOAL&-SAMTLES  RECEIVED  FROM  THE  COMPANIES,  1910-1911.  ANALYSES  BY  S.  H.  WORRELL. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


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30 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


PROXIMATE  ANALYSES  OF  TEXAS  COALS— ALPHABETICALLY  ARRANGED— 

DRY  BASIS. 


* 

Volatile 

and 

Com¬ 

bustible. 

Fixed 

Carbon. 

Ash. 

Sulphur. 

Heating 
Power 
B.  T.  U. 

• 

1.  Belknap  Coal  Co. 

Newcastle,  Young  County _ 

38.45 

42.68 

11.87 

4.24 

10,213 

0B.  Belknap  Coal  Co. 

Newcastle,  Young  County _ 

40.38 

43.20 

16.42 

2.13 

10,970 

S.  Bridgeport  Coal  Co. 

Bridgeport,  Wise  County _ 

38.30 

46.94 

14.76 

3.41 

11,196 

1.  Oannel  Coal  Co. 

Laredo,  Webb  County _ 

54.00 

37.97 

8.03 

2.25 

12,604 

4.  International  Coal  Mines  Co. 

Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  County _ 

40.25 

48.65 

11.10 

2.14 

11,695 

6.  International  Coal  Mines  Co. 

Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  County 
Special  - 

39.20 

57.73 

3.07 

1.80 

12,527 

6,  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  County _ 

33.70 

39.96 

26.34 

2.00 

9,636 

*1.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Washed  Egg _ 

38.00 

44.49 

17.55 

1.30 

11,545 

t2.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Washed  Nut  _ _ _ 

37.58 

40.49 

21.93 

1.70 

10.807 

S3.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Washed  Pea  _  . 

35.50 

39.16 

25,34 

1.80 

10,412 

EO.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Washed  Pea  _  _ 

34.80 

39.19 

26.01 

1.62 

10,380 

81.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Washed  Nut _ 

36.42 

43.07 

20.51 

1.56 

10,720 

*2.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Washed  Egg _  _ 

39.18 

44.02 

16.80 

1.20 

11,412 

42.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Washed  Nut _  _ 

38.15 

33.76 

28.09 

0.74 

10,200 

43.  Olmos  Coal  Co. 

Mine-run _  _ 

29.90 

38.60 

31.50 

0.56 

11,000 

8.  Rio  Grande  Coal  Co. 

Laredo,  Webb  County _ 

50.45 

38.10 

11.45 

2.09 

11,740 

7.  Santo  Mining  &  Developing  Co. 
Weatherford,  Parker  County _ 

39.50 

50.99 

9.51 

2.10 

12,410 

9.  Strawn  Coal  Mining  Co. 

Strawn,  Palo  Pinto  County _ 

39.60 

49.56 

10.84 

3.17 

12,265 

10.  Texas  &  Pacific  Coal  Co. 

Thurber,  Erath  County _ 

41.95 

50.08 

7.97 

1.98 

12,526 

17.  Stewart  Creek  Coal  Co. 

.Termyn,  Jack  County  _  _ 

38.18 

39.01 

22.81 

1.84 

10,610 

11.  Wise  County  Coal  Co. 

Bridgeport,  Wise  County _ 

37.40 

47.37 

15.23 

2.00 

11,269 

Average  -  -  - 

39.09 

43.57 

17.34 

2.26 

11,240 

In  this  Table  the  Carboniferous  Coals  are  Nos.  1,  53,  2,  7,  9,  10,  37  and  11.  Ths 
Tertiary  Coals  are  Nos.  3,  4,  5,  6,  31,  32,  S3,  50,  51,  52,  42,  43,  8. 


On  comparin"  these  analyses  with  the  analyses  made  on  per¬ 
sonal  samples  we  find  as  follows,  the  first  figures  representing 
Company  samples  and  the  latter  figures  personal  samples,  aver¬ 
ages  alone  being  given ; 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


31 


Company  Personal 
samples,  samples. 

Moisture  .  5.82  7.40 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter .  36.89  34.82 

Fixed  Carbon  .  41.07  41.74 

Ash  .  16.30  16.04 

Sulphur  .  1.86  2.19 

Carbon  .  59.23  60.01 

Hydrogen  .  4.37  4.25 

Oxygen  .  10.39  8.33 

Nitrogen  .  2.05  1.76 

Heating  power,  B.  T.  U . 10,558  11,245 

On  dry  basis,  these  become : 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter .  39.09  37.65 

Fixed  Carbon  .  45.57  45.06 

Ash  .  17.34  17.29 

Sulphur  .  1.98  2.38 

Carbon  .  62.76  64.79 

Hydrogen  .  4.66  4.59 

Oxygen  .  11.00  9.00 

Nitrogen  .  2.26  1.90 

Heating  power,  B.  T.  U . 11,240  12,035 


There  are  no  very  considerable  discrepancies  between  these 
analyses,  and  it  may  fairly  be  concluded  that  they  represent  the 
composition  of  Texas  coals  as  they  are  mined.  It  must  be  re¬ 
membered  that  they  do  not  pretend  to  represent  the  composition 
or  heating  value  of  the  coals  as  they  are  used  in  actual  practice. 
This  is  a  matter  to  be  adjusted  between  the  buyei*  and  the  seller. 
If  the  consumer  is  willing  to  continue  the  use  of  a  system  by 
which  he  buys  so  much  coal  at  such  and  such  a  price,  without  re¬ 
gard  to  composition  and  its  heating  power,  he  is,  of  course,  free 
to  do  so.  At  the  same  time  he  must  remember  that  he  is  not  get¬ 
ting  from  his  money  its  full  service.  He  may  be  handling  twice 
as  much  ash  as  may  be  necessary.  He  may  be  getting  many  heat 
units  less  than  he  is  entitled  to,  but  so  long  as  he  does  not  buy 
coal  under  specifications,  but  simply  on  a  tonnage  basis,  he  will 
continue  to  get  a  good  deal  less  from  a  dollar  than  it  has  in  it. 

These  remarks  apply  not  only  to  Texas  coals,  which  represent 
a  small  proportion  of  the  coal  used  here,  but  to  all  classes  of  coal 
brought  in  from  Alabama,  West  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  Ken¬ 
tucky,  Arkansas,  Oklahoma,  Colorado  and  New  Mexico. 


32 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


Just  how  much  coal  is  brought  into  Texas  from  outside  points 
we  do  not  know.  There  are  no  statistics  on  this  subject,  but  the 
amount  is  certainly  far  in  excess  of  local  production. 

It  understands  itself  that  these  coals  varv  a  good  deal  in  com- 
position  and  value,  just  as  Texas  coals  do,  but  they  are  bought 
on  a  tonnage  basis,  and  there  are  few,  if  an}',  specifications  as  to 
moisture,  or  ash,  or  sulphur,  or  heating  power.  A  ton  of  coal  is 
a  ton  of  coal  whether  it  has  160  pounds  or  320  pounds  of  ash, 
and  whether  the  heating  power  is  9,000  or  12,000  B.  T.  U.  If 
we  like  this  way  of  doing  business,  why,  this  is  the  way  we  like. 
In  the  meantime  we  are  spending  money  for  nothing. 

% 

OTHER  ANALYSES  OF  TEXAS  COALS. 

There  are  not  many  sources  of  information  on  the  composition 
of  Texas  coals.  We  have  been  able  to  find  only  a  few,  outside  of 
Bulletin  No.  3,  University  of  Texas  Mineral  Survey,  May,  1902. 

In  the  First  Annual  Report  of  the  Texas  Geological  Survey, 
1889,  page  215,  there  are  given  five  analyses  of  coal  from  differ¬ 
ent  parts  of  the  Waldrip  beds,  McCulloch  county  (Carbonifer¬ 
ous),  and  in  Coleman  county.  These  are  as  follows; 


ANALYSES  OF  COAL  FROM  THE  WALDRIP  BEDS,  COLEMAN  COUNTY. 


Locality. 

Mois¬ 

ture. 

Volatile 

Matter. 

Fixed 

Carbon.  Ash.  :  Sulphur. 

Waldrip  __  _ 

8.25 

38.27 

47.27  6.20  i  3.25 

•Waldrip  _  _  _ 

4.56 

38.50 

44.80  12.14  j  7.96 

Bull  Cr^k  and  Coleman  County _ 

4.05 

40.40 

46.75  8.80  1  2.87  ’ 

Bull  Creek _ 

10.40 

35.94 

49.46  4.19  1  1.53 

Silver  Moon  Mine _  _ 

6.90 

36.00 

41.10  ;  16.00  f  4.56 

•Sample  taken  from  the  dump,  not  considered  a  fair  sample. 


In  the  Second  Annual  Report  of  the  Texas  Geological  Survey.- 
1890,  page  551,  there. are  given  six  analyses  of  Texas  coals,  as  fol¬ 
lows  : 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


33 


ANALYSES  OP  TEXAS  COALS. 


Locality. 

Mois¬ 

ture. 

Volatile 

Matter. 

Fixed 

Carbon. 

Ash. 

Sulphur. 

Bridgeport,  Wise  County - 

Sheuber  Shaft,  near  Bowie,  Montague 

2.00 

31.47 

56.32 

8.15 

2.06 

County  - 

2.30 

34.48 

61.28 

0.60 

1.14 

Gilfoil  Shaft,  Young  County _ 

1.10 

35.50 

43.00 

15.60 

4.60 

Thurber  Shaft  No.  1,  Erath  County.— 

0.85 

31.23 

56.98 

9.30 

1.64 

Thurber  Shaft  No.  2,  Erath  County--. 

0.90 

30.96 

60.01 

6.85 

1.28 

Thurber  Shaft  No.  3,  Erath  County— 

0.90 

33.51 

53.46 

10.65 

1.48 

•San  Tomas  Coal,  Webb  County _ 

•From  25  Miles  N.  W.  of  San  Tomas, 

2.59 

51.05 

39.01 

7.35 

1.50 

Webb  County  _ 

2.35 

42.67 

37.59 

16.55 

0.86 

No  eoal  is  now  mined  in  Montague  County. 
•Brown  Coal  and  Lignite,  Dumbly,  1892,  p,  190. 


The  analysis  of  the  coal  from  near  Bowie,  Montague  county,  is 
quite  remarkable  as  showing  only  0.60  per  cent,  of  ash. 

In  a  note  appended  to  these  analyses  it  is  stated  that  the  coal 
from  the  Gilfoil  shaft,  Young  county,  was  taken  from  the  dump, 
and  was  not  a  fair  sample. 

In  the  Fourth  Annual  Report  of  the  Texas  Geological  Survey, 
1893,  pages  433-435,  there  are  given  eight  analyses  of  coal  from 
the  southern  part  of  Coleman  county,  near  the  Colorado  river, 
and  from  the  Silver  Moon  Mine,  northeast  of  Santa  Anna,  Cole¬ 
man  county.  These  analyses  are  as  follows : 

ANALYSES  OF  COAL  FROM  COLEMAN  COUNTY. 


Star  &  Crescent  Co.  near 
Rockwood.  Average 
of  6  Analyses. 


Silver  Moon  Mine  N.  E. 

of  Santa  Anna. 
Average  of  2  Analyses. 


Moisture  - 

3.07 

2.36 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter. _ 

33.05 

38.55 

Fixed  Carbon  _ _ 

39.10 

43.88 

Ash  _ _ _ 

24.78 

15.21 

100.00 

100.00 

Sulphur  _ _ _ 

3.10 

5.91 

One  of  the  coals  from  the  Star  and  Cresent  property  gave 
moisture,  4.71;  volatile  and  combustile  matter,  39.26;  fixed  car¬ 
bon,  46.24;  ash,  9.79,  and  sulphur,  2.22.  This  is  the  best  analy- 
,sis  given.  The  analyses  from  the  Silver  Moon  property  repre¬ 
sent  a  fair  average  of  that  coal,  vicinity  of  Jim  Ned  Creek. 

None  of  these  coals  is  now  worked,  except  perhaps,  for  purely 
local  purposes. 

Reference  has  been  made  in  these  pages  to  the  coal  in  Presidio 
county  and  to  the  unsuccessful  attempt  that  was  made  in  1893- 

1895.  to  develop  it. 

3 — T.  C. 


34 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


This  coal  is  in  the  San  Carlos  district,  from  20  to  25  miles 
south  of  Chispa,  a  station  on  the  Southern  Pacific  Ry.,  145  miles 
southeast  of  El  Paso. 

Without,  at  this  time,  expressing  any  opinion  concerning  the 
value  of  that  field  from  a  commercial  standpoint,  except  that 
it  appears  to  be  worth  further  investigation,  we  give  two  analy¬ 
ses  of  the  coal  which  are  quoted  in  The  Mineral  Resources  of  the 
United  States,  United  States  Geological  Survey,  1893,  page  385. 
The  analyses  were  sent  to  that  survey  by  Mr.  R.  E.  Russell,  Gen¬ 
eral  Manager  of  The  San  Carlos  Coal  Company,  a  Pittsburg  or¬ 
ganization.  There  was  said  to  be  two  benches  in  the  seam  sep¬ 
arated  by  from  6  to  18  inches  of  slate.  The  lower  bench  was 
said  to  average  from  30  to  40  inches  and  was  softer  than  the 
upper  bench,  which  was  32  inches,  widening  out,  in  places,  to 
6  feet  or  more. 

Two  analyses  were  given,  but  nothing  is  said  as  to  which  one 
represents  the  lower  and  which  the  upper  bench. 


.ANALYSES  OF  COAL  LROM  THE  SAX  CARLOS  FIELD,  PRESIDIO  COUXTY. 


Mois¬ 

ture. 

Volatile 

Matter. 

Fixed 

Carbon. 

Ash. 

Sulphur, 

Xo.  1 _ _ 

.  9 

1.00 

0.94 

39.05 

34.48 

49.05 

58.96 

10.00 

5.62 

trace 

0.64 

Mr  Russell  said  that  coking  tests  of  this  coal  had  been  made 
at  Connellsville,  Pennsylvania,  and  that  48-hour  bee-hive  coke 
gave  carbon  93.7  per  cent  and  ash  6.30  per  cent. 

A  railroad  test,  made  on  coal  that  had  been  on  the  dump  for 
five  or  six  months,  and  that  was  practically  crop  coal,  showed  a 
haulage  of  52.21  miles  per  ton  of  coal,  passenger  train  with  five 
or  six  coaches.  The  San  Carlos  Field  would  appear  to  merit  a 
more  careful  examination  than  it  has  yet  had,  especially  in  view 
of  the  possibility  of  developing  a  good  coking  coal. 

The  undeveloped  coal  in  Stephens  county,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Crystal  Falls  and  up  the  Brazos  river  from  this  place ;  west  and 
southwest  of  Breckenridge,  etc.,  has  not  been  sufficiently  opened 
for  one  to  express  a  positive  opinion  concerning  it. 

On  Coal  Branch,  a  few  miles  west  of  Crystal  Falls,  Stephens 
county,  there  is  an  outcrop  of  coal  with  two  benches,  each  12 
inches  thick,  which  was  sampled  by  Wm.  B.  Phillips,  December 
13th.  1906.  The  analysis  was  as  follows: 


Texas  Goals  and  Lignites 


35 


ANALYSIS  OF  COAL  FROM  COAL  BRANCH,  STEPHENS  COUNTY, 

UPPER  BENCH. 


Moisture  .  6.90 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter .  38.07 

Fixed  Carbon  .  37.03 

Ash  .  18.00 


100.00 

Sulphur  .  6.49 


This  coal  contained  an  excessive  amount  of  sulphur  and  experi¬ 
ments  were  made  to  see  what  proportion  of  it  could  be  eliminated. 
A  large  sample  was  put  through  a  %  inch  screen  and  thoroughly 
mixed.  A  sample  was  treated  in  zinc  chloride  solutions  of  specific 
gravity  1.30,  1.35  and  1.40.  The  coal  that  floated  in  1.30  was 
29.50  per  cent,  of  the  total,  and  contained  11.34  per  cent,  of  ash, 
with  4.10  per  cent,  of  sulphur. 

The  coal  that  sank  in  the  solution  of  1.30  specific  gravity,  but 
floated  in  1.35  was  29.50  per  cent,  of  the  total,  and  contained 
19.24  per  cent,  of  ash,  with  5.36  per  cent,  of  sulphur.  The  coal 
that  sank  in  1.35,  but  floated  in  1.40,  was  4.50  per  cent,  of  the 
total,  and  contained  18.80  per  cent,  of  ash,  with  6.29  per  cent,  of 
sulphur. 

The  coal  that  sank  in  1.40  was  36.50  per  cent,  of  the  total  and 
contained  35.60  per  cent,  of  ash,  with  8.54  per  cent,  of  sulphur. 
It  is  not  likely  that  this  coal  could  be  improved  by  washing  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  warrant  the  expense  to  be  incurred.  The 
best  of  it  contains  over  4  per  cent,  of  sulphur. 

The  bottom  bench  of  this  coal,  separated  from  the  upper  bench 
by  from  3  to  6  inches  of  bone  and  slate,  shows  a  much  better  ma¬ 
terial. 


ANALYSIS  OF  BOTTOM  BENCH  OF  COAL,  COAL  BRANCH, 

STEPHENS  COUNTY. 


Moisture  . 3.15 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter .  41.95 

Fi/ed  Carbon  .  43.60 

Ash  .  11.30 


100.00 

Sulphur  . . .  3.75 


36  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

The  composition  of  the  entire  seam  of  24  inches  at  this  place 
Avoulcl  be: 


Moisture  .  5.02 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter .  40.01 

Fixed  Carbon  .  40.46 

Ash  .  14.51 


100.00 

Sulphur  . . . . ; .  5.12 

There  has  been,  of  late,  an  increase  of  interest  in  the  Stephens 
county  coals,  and  some  work  is  now  being  done  there,  but  no 
coal  has  been  shipped,  as  there  are  no  railroad  facilities. 

In  the  southern  part  of  Brewster  county,  within  8  to  10  miles 
of  the  quicksilver  area,  there  is  a  limited  field  of  bituminous  coal. 
TTiis  coal  has  been  used  under  steam  boilers  with  satisfactory  re¬ 
sults.  We  give  three  analyses  of  the  coal  from  the  Bough  Bun 
district. 

Cub  Spring.  Kimble  Pits.  Chisos  Pen. 
Per  cent.  Per  cent.  Per  cent. 


Moisture  .  10.65  4.74  1.16 

Volatile  Matter  .  50.91  29.84  32.79 

Fixed  Carbon .  19.52  49.84  44.53 

Ash  .  18.92  15.58  21.52 


100.00  100.00  100.00 
Sulphur  .  0.86  1.26  3.39 


Heating  Po'wer,  B.  T.  U.  8,432  11,887  11,958 

This  coal  field  is  *90  miles  from  the  Southern  Pacific  Bailwav, 
at  Alpine,  or  Marathon.  The  coal  can  be  used  only  for  local 
purposes,  but  it  could  be  used  in  producers  for  making  gas  for 
the  quicksilver  furnaces  instead  of  wood.  There  are  outcrops  of 
this  coal  within  two  miles  of  furnaces  now  in  operation.  The 
Battlesnake  beds,  20  miles  south  of  the  Bough  Bun  district,  are 
probably  a  continuation  of  the  more  northern  beds. 


I 


Chapter  II. 


LIGNITE. 

T'he  lignite  fields  of  Texas  probably  extend  over  60,00  square 
miles.  The  original  supply  of  lignite  may  be  taken  to  have  been 
in  excess  of  30,000,000,000  tons  and  as  it  has  scarcely  been 
touched,  the  supply  of  this  fuel  need  occasion  no  anxiety  for  the 
next  thousand  years  or  so.  There  is  found  in  Texas  every  known 
variety  of  lignite,  from  a  material  carrying  but  a  few  per  cent, 
of  fixed  carbon  to  nearly  45  per  cent.,  and  with  from  30  per  cent, 
of  volatile  and  combustible  matter  to  more  than  76  per  cent. 

Physically  the  lignites  range  from  what  is  but  little  more  than 
carbonized  wood  to  a  material  almost  like  bituminous  coal. 

In  thickness,  the-  beds  run  to  15  feet  and  more,  and  they  are 
found  from  the  surface  to  depths  of  400  to  600  feet. 

The  counties  in  which  workable  beds  of  lignite  occur  are  the 
following :  Anderson,  Angelina,  Atascosa,  Bastrop,  Bowie, 

Brewster,  Caldwell,  Camp,  Cass,  Cherokee,  Dimmit,  Payette, 
Freestone,  Grimes,  Harrison,  Henderson,  Hopkins,  Houston, 
Jasper,  Lee,  Leon,  Limestone,  McMullen,  Marion,  Medina,  Milam, 
Morris,  Nacogdoches,  Newton,  Panola,  Rains,  Robertson,  Rusk, 
Sabine,  San  Augustine,  Shelby,  Smith,  Titus,  Upshur,  Van 
Zandt,  Webb,  Wood  and  Zavala. 

In  a  general  way,  workable  lignite  is  found  in  all  that  part  of 
Texas  lying  east  of  the  97th  meridian  of  west  longlitude  and 
north  of  the  31st  degree  of  north  latitude,  but  there  are  impor¬ 
tant  areas  outside  of  these  boundaries. 

In  the  vear  1892  Mr.  E.  T.  Humble.  State  Geologist,  issued  a 
comprehensive  and  valuable  report  on  Brown  Coal  and  Lignite, 
and  this  still  remains  the  chief  source  of  information  as  to  the 
geology  and  occurrence  of  lignite  in  Texas.  In  addition,  many 
analyses  are  given  and  they  are  referred  to  in  this  Bulletin. 

Mr.  Dumble  classed  the  brown  coal  (lignite)  deposits  as  be¬ 
longing  to  the  Tertiary  formation.  They  occur  in  the  Gulf 
slope,  from  the  Red  river  to  the  Rio  Grande,  in  an  area  650 
miles  in  length  and  200  miles  in  width.  He  says  that  the  greater 


38 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


amount  of  the  deposits  are  found  in  the  Eocene  series  of  the 
Tertiary  and  in  the  following  divisions: 

Fayette. 

Yegua. 

Timber  Belt. 

The  lowest  deposits  are  in  the  Timber  Belt  series,  and  this 
contains  the  heaviest  and  best  beds.  This  series  is  epecially  de¬ 
veloped  in  the  counties  extending  southwest  from  Bowie  county, 
on  the  Red  River,  such  as  Cass,  Marion,  Harrison,  Morris,  Titus, 
Hopkins,  Camp,  Upshur,  Wood,  Rains,  Van  Zandt,  Smith,  Hen¬ 
derson,  Anderson,  Freestone,  Limestone,  Leon,  Robertson,  Milam, 
Lee,  Bastrop  and  Caldwell. 

.The  Yegua  division,  including  the  lower  portion  of  the  Fay¬ 
ette  beds,  are  divided  into  three  sections,  viz. :  East  Texas, 
Brazos  river  and  Rio  Grande. 

The  Fayette  division  of  the  Tertiary,  comprising  the  upper¬ 
most  beds  of  the  lignite-bearing  Eocene,  he  divides  into  four 
sections,  viz:  East  Texas,  Brazos  river,  Colorado  river  and  Rio 
Grande. 

As  this  Bulletin  is  not  intended  for  any  discussions  of  the 
geologj^  of  Texas  coals  or  lignites,  it  is  sufficient  merely  to  call 
attention  to  the  matter  in  a  general  way,  and  to  refer  those 
who  desire  detailed  information  to  Mr.  Bumble’s  “Brown  Coal 
and  Lignite.” 

Inasmuch  as  the  development  of  the  lignite  industry  in  this 
State  has  come  about  since  the  publication  of  that  excellent 
report  and  to  a  great  extent  because  of  it,  more  recent  and  more 
detailed  analyses  of  the  lignites  mined  and  in  use  were  under¬ 
taken  by  the  University  Mineral  Survey  in  1901-1902.  These 
were  published  in  Bulletin  No.  2  of  that  survey,  1902,  but  this 
has  long  been  out  of  print. 

At  that  time  samples  were  taken,  in  person,  at  the  mines  and 
were  placed  in  tight  cans  which  were  scaled.  In  this  way  the 
moisure  in  the  lignites,  as  mined,  was  capable  of  accurate  de¬ 
termination. 

The  mines  visited  and  sampled  were  as  follows: 

No.  1535.  Carr  Mine,  Lytle,  Medina  county. 

No.  1536.  Bertetti  Mine,  Lji;le,  Medina  county. 

No.  1537.  Glenn-Belto  Mine,  Bishop,  Bastrop  county. 

No.  1538.  Worley  Mine,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


39 


No.  1539. 
No.  1540. 


Black  Diamond  Coal  Co.,  Bockdale,  Milam  county. 
Lignite  Eggette  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam 
county. 

J.  J.  Olsen  &  Sons,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 

Big  Lump  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 
Aransas  Pass  Lignite  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 
Central  Texas  Mining,  Manufacturing  &  Land  Co., 
Calvert  Bluff,  Robertson  countv. 

Houston  County  Coal  Co.,  near  Lovelady,  Houston 
county. 

Timpson  Coal  Co.,  Timpson,  Shelby  county. 

North  Texas  Coal  Co.,  Alba,  Wood  county. 

North  Texas  Coal  Co.,  Alba,  Wood  county. 

Como  Coal  Co.,  Como,  Hopkins  county. 

The  production  of  lignite  at  that  time  and  year  by  year  since 
is  given  in  the  Table  of  Production  of  Coal  and  Lignite  on 
page  7  of  this  Bulletin. 

The  analyses  made  on  the  samples  taken  in  1901-1902  are  as 
follows : 


No.  1541. 
No.  1542. 
No.  1543. 
No.  1544. 

No.  1545. 

No.  1546. 
No.  1547. 
No.  1548. 
No.  1549. 


COMPOSITION  or  TEXAS  LIGNITES,  SAMPLED  AT  MINES  BY  UNIVERSITY  MINERAL  SURVEY,  1901-1902. 

ANALYSES  BY  O.  VV.  PALM  AND  S.  H.  WORRELL. 


40 


Bulletin  of  the 


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Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


41 


The  variations  in 

1  these  analyses  are  as 

follows : 

Material  as 

mined — 

From. 

To. 

Average. 

Moisture  . 

.  29.07 

36.16 

33.37 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter.  .  28.96 

51.00 

40.39 

Fixed  Carbon  . . . , 

.  3.41 

24.47 

17.24 

Ash  . 

.  4.87 

17.60 

9.00 

Sulphur  . 

.  0.40 

3.29 

1.12 

Carbon  . 

.  34.93 

43.85 

40.13 

Hydrogen  . 

.  2.30 

3.37 

3.03 

Oxygen  . 

.  10.67 

14.85 

12.29 

Nitrogen  . 

.  0.85 

141 

1.18 

Heating  Power,  B. 

T.  U .  6,474 

8,053 

7,614 

On  dry  basis  these  become : 


Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter.  . 

40.84  . 

72.72 

60.61 

Fixed  Carbon  . 

5.16 

34.82 

25.88 

Ash  . 

6.34 

25.45 

13.51 

Sulphur  . 

0.64 

4.65 

1.68 

Carbon  . 

51.50 

65.40 

60.23 

Hydrogen  . . . 

3.49 

5.13 

4.55 

Oxygen  . 

10.33 

22  91 

18.45 

Nitrogen  . 

1.09 

2.20 

1.47 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U . 

9,790 

12,215 

11,427 

Specific  Gravity  . 

1.16 

1.44 

1.33 

Weight  per  cubic  foot.  Lbs . 

72.5 

90.0 

83.1 

COMPOSITION  OF  THE  ASH  OF  TEXAS  LIGNITES. 


Analysis 

No. 

Silica. 

Alumina. 

Oxide  of 
Iron. 

Lime. 

Mag¬ 

nesia. 

Oxide  of 
Mangan¬ 
ese. 

Sulphuric 

Acid. 

• 

Analysis 

No. 

1535 

63.40 

12.27 

5.95 

none 

trace 

1.00 

13.71 

1535 

1586 

40.46 

16.92 

8.32 

15.60 

1.22 

15.54 

1536 

1537 

30.14 

13.48 

11.70 

23.59 

0.88 

3.32 

14.22 

1537 

1538 

21.64 

16.20 

11.10 

25.23 

4.36 

2.00 

18.01 

1538 

1539 

33.06 

16.77  . 

8.47 

2S.t'8 

1.38 

trace 

17.10 

1539 

1540 

27.44 

28.87 

24.85 

7.00 

trace 

0.52 

10.45 

1540 

1541 

23.20 

11.94 

5.08 

38.17 

1.00 

1.60 

7.79 

1541 

1542 

42.20 

23.02 

2.02 

15.93 

2.12 

trace 

12.81 

1542 

1543 

47.04 

23.18 

18.32 

6.64 

trace 

trace 

4.58 

1543 

1544 

40.60 

34.26 

2.02 

12.08 

trace 

9.52 

1544 

1545 

59.00 

20.11 

3.69 

10.58 

0.48 

0.48 

5.47 

1545 

1546 

25.64 

19.08 

12.92 

18.68 

1.76 

20.92 

1546 

1547 

38.73 

23.00 

6.00 

24.11 

trace 

trace 

8.51 

1547 

1548 

1549 

33.00 

68.04 

25.84 

24.68 

7.40 

7.70 

22.32 

10.59 

trace 

trace 

11.32 

3.53 

1548 

1549 

Average 

38.57 

20.64 

9.04 

16.84 

0.94 

• 

0.81 

12.90 

Average 

42 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


In  these  lignites  the  following  variations  in  the  composition  of 
the  ash  are  to  be  noted. 


From,  To.  Average. 

Per  cent,  of  ash .  4.87  17.60  9.00 

Silica  .  21.64  63.40  38.57 

Alumina  .  11.94  34.26  20.64 

Oxide  of  Iron .  2.02  24.85  9.04 

Lime  .  0.00  38.17  16.84 

Sulphuric  Acid  .  3.53  20.92  12.90 


With  the  lignites,  as  with  the  coals,  there  is  a  considerable  va¬ 
riation  in  the  composition  of  the  ash,  leading  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  conditions,  with  respect  to  vegetation  and  the  in-wash 
of  sediments,  varied  within  wide  limits. 

On  comparing  the  composition  of  the  ash  of  these  lignites  with 
that  of  the  coals  given  on  page  17  it  is  seen  that  the  lignite  ash 
carried  considerably  less  silica,  alumina,  and  oxide  of  iron  than 
the  coal  ash,  but  considerably  more  lime  and  combined  sulphuric 
acid. 

What  deductions  may  be  made  from  these  facts  does  not  now 
appear  except  that  it  is  probable  that  the  vegetation  forming  the 
coal  was  different  from  that  forming  the  lignite,  and  also  that 
the  in-wash  of  extraneous  materials  was  different  during  the 
process  of  the  formation  of  these  beds. 

Whether  the  coal  and  lignite  beds  have  been  formed  “in 
situ”  or  by  “drift,”  or  by  a  combination  of  these  tw^o  methods 
is  an  open  question.  It  is  likely  that  conditions  varied  a  good 
deal  not  only  in  the  coal  period  as  a  whole,  but  also  locally, 
and,  to  some  extent,  while  the  same  seam  ^vas  being  made. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  give  a  list  of  the  principal  fossil 
fauna  and  flora  that  have  been  found  in  different  coal  beds, 
and  the  list  that  follows  is  taken  from  James  Tonge’s  Coal,  1907. 

FAUNA. 

Amphibia.  All  belonging  to  the  Labyrinthodont  order. 

Fish.  Many  different  kinds,  both  large  and  small,  shark,  etc. 
Many  geologists  hold  to  the  opinion  that  wdiat  is  known 
as  “Cannel”  coal  is  of  marine  origin,  on  account  of 
the  prevalence  of  the  remains  of  fish,  shells,  etc. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


43 


Insects.  Not  very  abundant.  One  specimen  of  Orthoptera 
has  been  found  with  a  spread  of  wing  of  nearly  two 
feet. 

Myriopoda  (“Thousand  Legs”).  Quite  common. 

Arachnida  (Spiders).  Both  spiders  and  scorpions  have 
been  found. 

Xiphosura  (Crabs).  Fairy  well  distributed. 

Schizopoda  (Shrimps). 

Ostracoda  (Oyster-like  forms).  Abundant  but  sometimes  very 
small. 

Brachiopoda. 

Mollusca,  both  uni-  and  bi-valve. 

Brachiopoda.  Well  represented  in  carboniferous  limestone,  but 
not  plentiful  in  the  coal  measures  themselves. 

Vermes  (Worms).  Fairly  plentiful,  as  borings,  tracks,  etc. 

FLORA. 

A  great  deal  of  work  has  been  done  in  the  study  of  the  fossil 
flora  of  the  coal  measures  and  the  coal  beds  themselves.  Of  late 
years  the  chief  interest  has  centered  around  the  study  of  fossil 
flora  from  the  standpoint  of  stratigraphical 'succession.  The  re¬ 
sults  of  such  researches  are  to  be  compared  with  the  work  of  the 
stratigraphical  and  structural  geologist  who  looks  at  the  prob¬ 
lem  from  the  standpoint  of  the  sequence  of  rocks. 

The  flora  of  the  coal  measures  is  represented  by  Lycopods, 
moss-like  plants,  some  of  them  gTOwing  to  a  height  of  50  feet  and 
more. 

Catamites.  Reed-like  plants,  akin  to  our  “horse-tails.”  Very 
common  in  coal  measures. 

Coniferae.  Cone-bearing  trees  and  shrubs,  pine^  cedar,  etc. 

They  appear  for  the  flrst  time  in  the  coal  measures. 
Cordiates. 

Some  of  the  Lycopods  were  more  than  fifty  feet  in  height 
and  represented  the  maximum  devlopment  of  the  club  moss. 

It  is  a  notable  fact  that  in  many  of  the  so-called  “flaming” 
coals  there  are  large  quantities  of  the  spores  of  this  gigantic 
club  moss.  The  bark  of  this  dub  moss  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
common  fosil  plant  in  the  coal  measures,  and  is  to  be  observed 
in  a  great  many  places. 

In  paleobotany  there  is  still  some  confusion  in  nomenclature, 


44 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


for  it  is  one  of  the  younger  sciences,  dating  back  not  more  than 
35  or  40  years. 

During  the  period  of  its  existence,  1888-1892,  the  Texas  Geo¬ 
logical  Survey  did  much  valuable  work  on  the  fossil  remains 
found  in  the  coal  measures  of  this  Stale,  but  since  that  time 
nothing  has  been  done  by  the  State  itself,  and  but  little  by  out¬ 
side  investigators. 

There  is  an  impression — quite  erroneous — that  such  studies 
are  too  ‘^scientific,”  that  they  do  not  touch  upon  matters  of 
practical  importance.  On  this  point  we  will  quote  Mr.  James 
Tonge,  AYesthoughton,  England,  a  notable  authority  on  coal, 
and  the  inventor  of  the  Hydraulic  Mining  Cartridge,  which 
has  done  more  for  the  protection  of  human  life  and  property 
in  coal  mines  than  almost  any  appliance  that  could  be  men¬ 
tioned. 

In  his  book  on  ''Coal,”  1907,  page  83,  he  says: 

“It  is  from  the  Palaeo-botanist  that  the  mining  student 
seeks  information  as  to  the  mode  of  formation  of  the  seams,  in¬ 
formation  which  can  only  be  derived  from  a  close  and  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  botany  of  carboniferous  plant  remains.” 

The  truth  is  that  so-called  “scientific”  work  and  practical 
work  must  go  hand-in-hand.  There  is  no  hard  and  fast  line 
of  separation  between  them.  AVhat  is  pure  science  today  is 
the  basis  of  great  enterprises  tomorrow,  and  the  scientist  in  the 

laboratory  is  fore-runner  to  the  manairer  of  the  factory. 

«  » 

The  analyses  that  have  so  far  been  given  and  discussed  rep¬ 
resent  samples  of  lignites  that  were  secured  from  the  mines 
bv  an  agent  of  the  University  Mineral  Survey  in  1901-1902. 

In  order  to  bring  the  matter  down  to  date  and  present  new 
and  detailed  analyses,  the  operating  companies  were  asked  to 
send  in  typical  samples  of  the  material  they  were  mining  and 
shipping.  These  samples  were,  for  the  most  part,  received  in 
tin  cans,  with  close-fitting  covers.  In  those  cases  in  which  the 
moisture  runs  much  below  the  normal  the  samples  did  not 
come  in  such  cans,  and,  therefore,  show  a  less  amount  of  moist¬ 
ure  than  is  usually  found  in  our  lignites. 

As  the  analyses  are  given  on  the  samples  “as  received,”  and 
on  the  dry,  or  waterfree  basis,  also  they  may  readily  be  com¬ 
pared  with  each  other. 

The  analyses  of  these  “Company  samples”  are  as  follows: 


ANALYSES  OF  TEXAS  LIGNITES— OOMPANi  SAMPLES. 
BY  S.  H.  WORRELL,  1910-1911. 


45 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


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46 


Bulletin  of  the  Uijiversity  of  Texas 


The  key  to  these  “Company  samples”  is  as  follows: 

Analysis  No. 

40.  Alba  Lignite  Co.,  Alba,  Wood  county. 

59.  Alba-Malakoff  Lignite  Co.,  Alba,  Wood  county. 

12.  American  Lignite  Briquette  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam 

county. 

57.  American  Lignite  Briquette  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam 
county. 

13.  Bear  Grass  Coal  Co.,  Jewett,  Leon  county. 

14.  Bertetti  Coal  Co.,  Lytle,  Medina  county. 

16.  Carr  Wood  &  Coal  Co.,  Lytle,  Medina  county. 

41.  Como  Lignite  Co.,  Como,  Hopkins  county. 

17.  Consumers’  Lignite  Co.,  x\lba  and  Hoyt,  Wood  county. 
56.  Consumers’  Lignite  Co.,  Alba  and  Hoyt,  Wood  county. 

18.  Cookville  Coal  &  Lumber  Co.,  Mt.  Pleasant,  Titus  county. 
36.  Edgewood  Coal  &  Fuel  Co.,  Wills  Point,  Van  Zandt 

county. 

20.  Houston  County  Coal  &  Manufacturing  Co.,  Crockett, 

Houston  county. 

21.  Independence  Mining  Co.,  Phelan,  Bastrop  county. 

22.  Lone  Star  Lignite  Mining  Co.,  Como,  Hopkins  county. 

23.  Melcher  Coal  &  Clay  Co.,  O’Quinn,  Fayette  county. 

55.  Rockdale  Coal  Co.,  Hicks,  Lee  county. 

44.  Rockdale  Consolidated  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 

28.  Rockdale  Lignite  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 

25.  Rowlett  &  Wells,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 

26.  Southwestern  Fuel  &  Manufacturing  Co.,  Calvert,  Robert¬ 

son  county. 

39.  Texas  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 

29.  Vogel  &  Lorenz,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 

Note. — The  Alba-Malakoff  Lignite  Company  is  successor  to  the 
Alba  Lignite  Company.  The  Vogel  Coal  &  Manufacturing  Com¬ 
pany  is  successor  to  Vogel  &  Lorenz. 

Analysis  No.  44,  Rockdale  Consolidated  Coal  Company,  repre¬ 
sents  lignite  sampled  at  the  works  of  the  Austin  White 
Lime  Company.  McNeil,  Travis  county,  January  13,  1911. 

The  lignite-producing  counties  are:  Bastrop,  Fayette,  Hop.- 
kins,  Houston,  Leon,  Medina,  Milam,  Rains,  Robertson,  Van 
Zandt  and  Wood. 


Texas  Goals  and  Lignites 


47 


The  supplies  of  lignite  in  Texas  are  practically  inexhaustible 
for  the  next  thousand  years  even  should  we  use  ten  times  as 
much  as  we  are  now  using. 

A  sample  of  lignite  was  received  from  the  Como  Coal  Com¬ 
pany,  Como,  Hopkins  county,  too  late  for  the  incorporation  of 
the  analysis  in  the  body  of  this  Bulletin  and  in  the  Tables.  It 
had  the  following  compositon : 

PROXIMATE  ANALYSIS.  DRY  BASIS. 


Per  cent. 


Volatile  Matter  .  39.50 

Fixed  Carbon  .  49.38 

Ash  .  11.12 


100.00 


Sulphur  . . .  1.01 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U . 11,680 


ULTIMATE  ANALYSIS.  DRY  BASIS. 


Per  cent. 


Carbon  .  62.59 

Hydrogen  .  4.84 

Oxygen  .  18.12 

Nitrogen  .  2.32 

Sulphur .  1.01 

Ash  . 11.12 


100.00 

As  received,  the  sample  contained  34.0  per  cent,  of  moisture. 


The  variations  in  these  analyses  are  as  follows : : 


SAMPLES  AS  RECEIVED. 


From. 

To 

Average. 

Moisture  . 

7.30 

37.26 

*25.17 

Volatile  and  Combustible  matter. 

20.33 

45.62 

37.59 

Fixed  Carbon  . 

21.09 

38,92 

28.45 

Ash  . 

4.81 

16.11 

8.79 

Sulphur . 

0.41 

0.96 

0.65 

Carbon  . 

36.16 

58.78 

44.08 

48 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


From. 

To. 

Average. 

Hydrogen  . 

2.60 

4.43 

3.35 

Oxygen  . 

11.76 

25.99 

16.49 

Nitrogen . 

0.73 

21.8 

1.47 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U . 

.  6,291 

10,411 

7,661 

On  a  dry  basis  these  become: 

From. 

To. 

Average. 

Volatile  and  Combustible  matter.  . 

43.38 

59.50 

50.48 

Fixed  Carbon . 

30.09 

44.00 

37.81 

Ash  . 

6.62 

21.31 

11.71 

Sulphur  . 

0.45 

1.34 

0.90 

Carbon  . 

53.80 

64.20 

58.85 

Hydrogen  . 

3.15 

5.36 

4.48 

Oxygen  . 

15.57 

29.13 

22.20 

Nitrogen  . 

1.20 

2.58 

1.86 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U . 

8,979 

11.510 

10,212 

T&xas  Coals  and  Lignites 


49 


PROXIMATE  ANALYSES  OF  TEXAS  LiGNITES— ALPHABETICALLY  ARRANGED— 

DRY  BASIS.  BY  S.  H.  WORRELL. 


Number  and  Description  of  Sample. 

Volatile 

and 

Com¬ 

bustible. 

Fixed 

Carbon. 

Ash. 

Sulphur. 

Heating 

Power 

B.  T.  U. 

40. 

Alba  Lignite  Co. 

Alba,  Wood  County _ 

48.10 

41.05 

10.85 

.80 

10,220 

59. 

Alba-Malakoff  Lignite  Co. 

Alba,  Wood  County _ 

51.30 

38.48 

10.22 

1.10 

10,340 

12. 

American  Lignite  Briquette  Co. 
Rockdale,  Milam  County _ 

55.70 

30.09 

14.31 

.78 

8,979 

57. 

American  Lignite  Briquette  Co. 
Rockdale,  Milam  County _ 

49.21 

39.53 

11.26 

.45 

11,230 

13. 

Bear  Grass  Coal  Co. 

Jewett,  Leon  County _ 

59.50 

31.75 

8.75 

1.00 

9,855 

14. 

Bertetti  Coal  Co. 

Lytle,  Medina  County _ _ 

55.00 

31.91 

13.09 

1.33 

10,510 

16. 

Carr  Wood  &  Coal  Co. 

Lytle,  Medina  County _ 

44.80 

33.89 

21.31. 

.97 

9,344 

41. 

Como  Lignite  Co. 

Como,  Hopkins  County _ 

44.70 

46.63 

12.G7 

.64 

10,600 

17. 

Consumers  Lignite  Co. 

Alba  and  Hoyt,  Wood  County— 

52.14 

38.22 

9.64 

.81 

10,510 

56. 

Consumers  Lignite  Co. 

Alba  and  Hoyt,  Wood  County— 

46.18 

43.63 

10.20 

.68 

10,840 

18. 

CookviUe  Coal  &  Lumber  Co. 

Mt.  Pleasant,  Titus  County _ 

58,60 

30.64 

10.76 

1.05 

9,782 

36. 

Edgewood  Coal  &  Fuel  Co. 

Wills  Point,  Van  Zandt  County. 

56.18 

37.20 

6.62 

.65 

10,540 

20. 

Houston  County  Coal  &  Mfg.  Co. 
Crockett,  Houston  County _ 

52.90 

33.99 

13.11 

.80 

10,120 

ei. 

Independence  Mining  Co. 

Phelan,  Bastrop  County _ 

50.76 

39.54 

9.70 

.90 

10,226 

22. 

Lone  Star  Lignite  Mining  Co. 
Como,  Hopkins  County _ 

48.54 

37.65 

13.81 

1.00 

9,709 

23. 

Melcher  Coal  &  Clay  Co. 

O’Quinn,  Fayette  County _ 

49.28 

32.90 

17.82 

1.34 

9,709 

55. 

Rockdale  Coal  Co. 

Hicks,  Lee  County _ 

51.20 

38.78 

10.02 

.72 

11,182 

44. 

Rockdale  Consolidated  Coal  Co. 
Rockdale,  Milam  County _ 

43.38 

41.43 

15.19 

.54 

10,900 

28. 

Rockdale  Lignite  Co. 

Rockdale,  Milam  County _ 

47.60 

41.31 

11.09 

.98 

10,030 

25. 

Rowlett  &  Wells. 

Rockdale,  Milam  County _ 

49.00 

44.00 

7.00 

.87 

1  9,757 

26. 

S.  W.  Fuel  &  Mfg.  Co. 

Calvert,  Robertson  County _ 

47.80 

1 

40.71 

11.49 

1.29 

10,030 

39. 

Texas  Coal  Co. 

Rockdale,  Milam  County _ 

! 

45.66 

41.12 

13.22 

.80 

10,410 

29. 

Vogel  &  IfOrenz. 

Rockdale,  Milam  County - 

50.52 

39.20 

10.28 

1.20 

9,855 

Average  — - - 

50.48 

37.81 

11.71 

.90 

10,212 

The  heat  units  in  perfectly  dry  lignite  compare  fairly  well 
with  the  heat  units  in  Texas  coals  as  they  are  mined,  but  the  heat 
units  in  lignite  as  received  at  points  of  consumption  are  much 
lower  than  in  dry  lignite  and  much  lower  than  they  are  in  coal. 

But  this  is  the  very  point  not  covered  in  this  Bulletin.  We 
have  no  means  of  knowing,  except  in  a  few  cases,  how  much 
moisture  lignites  contain  as  they  are  used.  In  comparing  one 
lignite  with  another  or  lignite  with  coal  for  practical  purposes 
it  is  necessary  to  know  how  much  moisture  they  contain,  for  upon 
4 — T.  C. 


50 


Jiulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


this  depends,  to  a  ^reat  extent,  their  value  as  fuel.  The  follow- 
in  <»•  Table  shows  how  ^reat  the  differences  in  composition  of  lig¬ 
nites  may  he,  according  as  they  are  considered  with  the  moisture, 
they  contain  or  on  a  dry  basis. 

Average  composition  of  Texas  lignites  with  moisture  and  with¬ 
out  moisture ; 


With  25  per  cent. 

of  moisture.  Dry. 

.Volatile  and  Combustible  matter .  37.59  50.48 

Fixed  Carbon  .  28.45  37.81 

Ash  .  8.79  11.71 

Sul])hur  .  0.65  0.90 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U .  7,661  10.212 

» 

Odie  percentages  for  any  intermediate  amount  of  water  may 
readily  be  calculated  from  the  ‘‘dry”  analysis.  In  comparing 
one  lignite  wtih  another  it  is  necessary  to  know  how  much  water 
they  contain,  and  what  the  composition  would  be  if  reduced  to  a 
diy  basis. 

But  since  it  is  impracticable  to  dry  lignite  before  it  is  used, 
and  since  it  is  customary  to  use  it  as  soon  as  possible  after  it  is 
mined,  the  amount  of  water  it  contains,  as  if  is  vsert.  is  a  very 
important  consideration. 

A  case  has  recently  been  reported  to  us  in  which  the  heating 
power  of  a  certain  lignite,  as  received  at  the  works,  was  6,410 
B.  T.  IJ.,  the  moisture  being  31.45  per  cent.  Theoi*etically  a 
f)ound  of  this  lignite  should'  evaporate  6.63  pounds  of  water 
fi’orn  and  at  212  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  returns  reported  an 
actual  evaporative  power  per  pound  of  lignite,  of  3.25  pounds  of 
water.  oi‘  less  than  50  ])er  cent,  of  the  theoretical  evaporative 
power. 

While  a  part  of  this  loss  may  have  been  due  to  an  uneconomical 
installation,  yet  it  does  not  appear  that  this  would  account  for 
all  of  it.  In  dealing  with  lignite  we  have  to  remember  that  we 
have  a  fuel  which  mav  contain  a  full  third  of  its  weight  of  water, 
and  that,  aside  from  this,  the  volatile  and  combustible  matter, 
and,  we  suspect,  the  fixed  carbon  also,  is  different  not  only  in 
amount,  but  in  quality,  from  such  substances  in  coal. 

In  y)i‘oducei'  practice  and  in  ordinary  steam  installations  these 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


51 


facts  must  be  borne  in  mind,  and  both  the  producer  and  the  fire¬ 
box  grates  and  air  inlets  designed  accordingly  There  is  a 
marked  difference  in  lignites,  and  a  producer,  for  instance,  de¬ 
signed  and  built  for  a  certain  lignite,  and  which  gives  good  T*e- 
sults  from  it  is  not  necessarily  suited  for  all  lignites.  .Nor  is  it 
merely  a  question  of  design  and  construction.  The  actual 
handling  of  the  plant  is,  perhaps,  of  even  greater  importance. 
So  far  as  we  are  aware,  there  is  no  successful  traveling  grate 
used  in  lignite  firing.  There  are  traveling  grates  that  are  used 
with  a  mixture  of  soft  coal  and  lignite,  but  none  operating  suc¬ 
cessfully  on  lignite  alone.  Hand-firing,  with  a  boiler  similar  in 
type  to  the  Dutch,  or  Dutch-oven,  boiler  has  given,  we  under¬ 
stand,  the  best  results  from  lignite.  It  is  hoped  that  the  experi¬ 
ments  to  be  carried  on  this  winter  in  the  new  power-house  at  the 
University  will  give  accurate  data  on  some  of  these  questions. 


DISPOSABLE  HYDROGEN  IN  TEXAS  LIGNITES— DRY  BASIS. 


Analysis  No. 

Total 

Hydrogen. 

Disposable  Hydrogen, 

Per  Cent. 

Per  Cent, 
of  Total. 

40  _ _ _ 

4.35 

1.10 

25.29 

59  _ 

4.21 

1.19 

28.26 

12  _ _ _ 

4.18 

1.12 

26.79 

57  _ _ 

4.78 

2.59 

54.19 

13  _ _ _ 

4.11 

1.52 

36.98 

14  _ _ 

4.96 

2.50 

50.40 

16  _ 

4.75 

2.84 

59.79 

41  _ 

4.40 

2.94 

33.18 

17  _  _ 

4.75 

2.06 

43.37 

56  _ i _ 

3.15 

none 

none 

18  _ 

4.70 

1.79  ^ 

38.08 

30  _ 

5,12 

2.10 

41.01 

20  _ 

5.36 

2.70 

.50.26 

21  _ 

5.03 

2.34 

46.12 

22  _ _ 

4.29 

1.84 

42.89 

23  _  _ 

4.70 

2.47 

52.55 

55  _ 

4.56 

2.20 

48.24 

44  _ _ _ _ _ 

4.08 

1.52 

37.71 

28  _  _ 

4.06 

1.73 

42.61 

25  _ 

4.78 

1.69 

35.35 

26  _ _ _ 

4.63 

1.79 

38.66 

39  _ _ _ _ 

4,46 

1.98 

42.39 

29  _ _ _ _ _ 

3.82 

1.00 

26.18 

Average  _ 

4.48 

1.87 

41.74 

The  first  thing  to  attract  attention  in  this  Table,  as  compared 
with  the  Table  giving  the  disposable  hydrogen  in  Texas  coals, 
page  20,  is  that  while  the  total  hydrogen  in  the  lignites  is  very 
nearly  the  same  as  in  the  coals  (4.48  and  4.66),  the  percentage  of 
disposable  hydrogen  in  the  lignites  is  much  less  than  in  the 
coals  (1.87  and  3.24).  The  amount  of  disposable  hydrogen, 


52  Bidletin  of  the  11  niversity  of  Texas 

expressed  as  percentage  of  the  total  hydrogen^  is  also  much 
less  in  the  lignites  than  in  the  coals  (43 .74  and  69.53). 

In  more  than  half  of  the  lignites  the  disposable  hydrogen 
was  less  than  one  per  cent.,  while  in  the  coals  there  was  not  a 
single  case  in  which  it  fell  below  2.29  per  cent  From  the 
standpoint  of  the  disposable  hydrogen  expressed  as  percentage 
of  the  total  hydrogen  there  were  only  five  cases  out  of  twenty- 
three  in  which  it  rose  above  50  per  cent,  in  the  lignites,  while 
in  the  coals  there  was  not  a  single  case  in  which  it  fell  below 
54  per  cent. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  gas-maker,  whether  illuminating 
or  fuel  gas,  retort  or  producer,  these  facts  are  of  considerable 
moment,  for  they  indicate  radical  differences  in  these  fuels 
with  respect  to  the  composition  and  value  of  the  gas  to  be  ob¬ 
tained  from  them  under  standard  conditions. 

There  is  very  little  data  to  be  obtained  with  referenec  to  the 
use  of  lignite  for  making  gas  in  retorts,  its  principal  use,  in 
gas-making,  being  in  the  producer.  If  the  plans  that  have 
been  made  for  the  further  study  of  our  coals  and  lignites  can 
be  carried  out,  we  shall  have  more  to  say  on  this  subject  later. 
In  the  meantime  there  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  “The 
Use  of  Producer  Gas  in  Texas”  a  compact  statement  of  the 
progress  that  has  been  made  in  Texas  within  the  last  few 
years,  together  with  some  observations  on  the  tendency  of  the 
industry.  TTiis  chapter  has  been  prepared  .especially  for  this 
Bulletin  by  Mr.  Drury  McN.  Phillips,  who  has  visited 
nearly  every  plant  in  Texas  that  is  making  producer-gas, 
after  having  had  considerable  practical  experience  in  pro¬ 
ducer  work,  and  the  application  of  machinery  to  such  problems. 

In  order  to  arrange  in  one  convenient  form  the  different 
analyses  that  have  been  made  on  Texas  lignites,  we  quote  those 
'  given  in  Mr.  E.  T.  Dumble’s  report  on  Brovm  Coal  and  Lig¬ 
nite,  1892.  The  proximate  analyses  and  key  are  given  first, 
and  then  the  ultimate  analvses. 

The  examinations  made  at  the  coal  testing  plant  of  the 
LMited  States  Geological  Survey  will  also  be  foimd  in  Chap¬ 
ter  III. 


t 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites  53 

% 

PROXIMATE  ANALYSES  OF  TEXAS  LIGNITES,  COMPILED  FROM  E.  T. 
RUMBLE’S  “BROWN  COAL  AND  LIGNITE,  1892.” 


Analysis. 

Moisture. 

Volatile  and 
Conibust’ble. 

Fixed 

Carbon. 

Ash. 

Sulphur. 

A.  _ 

8.35 

41.28 

42.73 

6.40 

1.24 

B. 

12.40 

36.37 

37.77 

13.60 

not  det’d 

C 

13.28 

59.86 

18.52 

8.32 

not  det’d 

n.i 

11.11 

57.05 

26.46 

4.50 

.87 

E.l  ___  __  . 

10.60 

36.12 

38.16 

15.12 

3.51 

p. 

15.80 

39.42 

39.78 

4.99 

not  det’d 

0.2  _  _ 

7.17 

40.55 

34.27 

17.19 

2.24 

H  2 

20.29 

-  32.67 

26.58 

17.50 

3.11 

T  3 

12.43  • 

38.37 

38.90 

8.50 

1.34 

.T  1 

6.25 

54.05 

33.47 

6.27 

.69 

K  1  _  . 

16.56 

45.10 

32.89 

5.49 

not  det’d 

T,  3 

8.41 

38.41 

28.65 

23.38 

.74 

M  .  ...  ..  _ 

16.50 

36.07 

37.17 

8.60 

1.66 

N. 

10.35 

39.03 

43.25 

6.87 

.50 

O  _ 

12.00 

42.00 

32.00 

13.00 

not  det’d 

P. 

13.25 

40.62 

36.47 

8.40 

1.26 

Q.3 

15.89 

42.24 

34.46 

6.85 

1.06 

R.l 

6.50 

46.64 

28.02 

17.72 

2.22 

S. 

20.80 

52.08 

22.67 

3.97 

.48 

T.i 

10.17 

39.52 

36.60 

12.80 

.95 

n.3  _  _  _ 

16.45 

40.24 

35.89 

8.95 

1.17 

V.*  _ 

13.51 

45.36 

32.44 

8.15 

.88 

w.i  _ 

13.10 

37.24 

41.22 

6.07 

2.36 

X.3 

10.11 

37.37 

24.39 

27.59 

1.15 

Y. 

18.26 

43.51 

29.53 

8.70 

2.46 

Z.4  . . . . . . 

9.67 

S9.59 

39.90 

10.08 

.76 

1.  Average  of  two  analyses.  2.  Average  of  four  analyses.  3.  Average  of 
five  analyses.  4.  Average  of  three  analyses. 


Key  to  analyses  of  lignites  compiled  from  ‘‘Brown  Coal  and 
Lignite,  Dnmble,  ”  1892: 

A.  Anderson  county.  From  an  outcrop  on  Caddo  Creek, 

about  seventeen  miles  northeast  of  Palestine :  thickness, 
about  two  feet. 

B.  Angelina  county. 

C.  Atascosa  county,  near  Somerset :  thickness.  5  feet  3 

inches  to  5  feet  6  inches. 

D.  Bowie  county,  near  New  Boston :  thickness,  12  feet.  One 

of  the  analyses  shows  1.45  per  cent,  of  ash,  with  76.41  per 
cent,  of  volatile  and  combustible  matter  and  10.62  per 
cent,  of  fixed  carbon. 

E.  Caldwell  county.  Burdett  Wells. 

F.  Cass  county.  Stone  Bluff. 

C.  Cherokee  County.  Bean’s  Creek,  six  miles  south  of  Alto; 

near  Jacksonville;  McBee’s  school  house. 

H.  Fayette  county.  Manton  Bluff:  thickness,  up  to  15  feet. 
On  O’Quinn  creek  the  lignite  is  of  excellent  quality  and 
has  a  thickness  up  to  8  feet. 


54  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

I.  Harrison  county.  Robertson’s  Ferry  and  Rocky  Ford,  Sa¬ 

bine  river;  McCathern  Creek:  thickness,  2  to  6  feet. 

J.  Henderson  county.  C.  M.  Walters  headright:  thickness, 

up  to  6  feet. 

K.  Hopkins  county,  near  Sulphur  Springs:  thickness,  up  to 
16  feet. 

L.  Houston  county.  Hyde’s  Bluff  and  Westmoreland  Bluff, 

Trinity  river;  J.  Bethel  headright;  Wallace  headright, 
near  Calthorp :  thickness,  4  to  6  feet. 

M.  Lee  county.  Blue  Branch :  thickness,  6  feet. 

N.  Leon  county,  near  Jewett:  thickness,  up  to  9  feet. 

O.  Limestone  county.  Head‘s  Prairie.  ’ 

P.  Medina  county.  Lytle:  thickness,  5  feet. 

Q.  Milam  county.  Rockdale:  thickness,  4  to  6  feet. 

R.  Morris  county.  Pruit  place:  thickness,  less  than  2  feet. 

S.  Panola  county.  Mineral  Springs  Ridge,  near  Beckville : 

thickness,  4  1-2  feet. 

T.  Rains  county.  Emory,  and  seven  miles  east. 

U.  Robertson  county.  Little  Brazos;  Calvert  Bluff:  thick¬ 

ness,  3  to  7  feet. 

V.  Rusk  county.  Iron  Mountain;  Graham’s  Lake,  12  miles 

Avest  of  Henderson :  thickness,  3  to  6  feet. 

W.  San  Augustine  county.  Sabine  and  Angelina  rivers: 

thickness,  6  to  15  feet. , 

X.  Smith  county.  Southwest  of  Tyler,  8  %  miles ;  south  of 

Tyler,  6  miles;  southeast  of  Tyler,  12  miles;  Avest  of  Lin- 
dale,  3  miles:  thickness,  3  feet  and  upwards. 

Y.  Shelby  county.  South  of  Timpson,  7  miles:  thickness, 

4  to  5  feet. 

Z.  Wood  county.  Alba  and  Mineola  :  thickness,  8  feet. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


55 


ULTIMATE  ANALYSIS  OF  TEXAS  BROWN  COALS— FROM:  “BROWN  COAL 

AND  LIGNITE,”  DUMBLE,  1892. 


County. 


Moisture. 


Anderson  _ 

Bowie  _ 

Cherokee  _ 

Gregg  . . . 

Harrison  _ 

Houston  _ 

Lee  - 

Leon  _ 

Medina  _ 

Milam  - 

Milam  _ 

Milam  - 

Morris  _ 

Rains  _ 

Rains  _ 

Robertson  _ 

Robertson  _ 

Rusk  _ 

San  Augustine 

Smith  _ 

Webb  (outcrop) 
Wood.  _ 


10.67 


12.00 

18.35 


16.50 


13.25 


17.75 

18.25 

8.55 


16.40 

16.63 


9.83 


10.85 


Average  _ 


13.67 


Carbon. 

Hydrogen. 

Ozygen 

and 

Nitrogen. 

Ash. 

Sulphur. 

53.06 

4.06 

24.12 

17.74 

1.02 

59.84 

3.10 

26.97 

9.10 

1.00 

66.67 

3.81 

22.08 

5.83 

1.64 

60.79 

4.96 

23.68 

9.27 

.88 

66.32 

3.95 

21.56 

8.97 

2.20 

63.09 

3.64 

22.56 

9.68 

1.08 

62.48 

3.21 

20.80 

11.56 

1.95 

63.60 

4.08 

24.02 

7.79 

.55 

60.92 

2.57 

25.34 

9.70 

1.47 

60.93 

4.12 

22.27 

11.36 

•  1.32 

62.50 

5.45 

20.84 

7.54 

.97 

64.50 

5.37 

20.76 

8.56 

.81 

59.87 

4.70 

24.35 

8.66 

2.42 

57.04 

4.01 

24.48 

13.35 

1.11 

59.32 

2.80 

20.27 

16.63 

.98 

58.16 

4.46 

13.11 

12.77 

1.50 

65.14 

5.29 

19.28 

9.21 

1.15 

58.93 

4.20 

22.14 

10.09 

4.64 

61.12 

3.32 

24.53 

7.75 

3.39 

57.40 

3.60 

23.31 

14.74 

.95 

59.28 

3.29 

16.98 

17.56 

.89 

56.33 

4.29 

24.13 

14.39 

.84 

60.98 

4.01 

22.16 

11.01 

1.48 

Tile  calculated  heat  units  of  some  of  the  Texas  lignites  were  also 
given  by  Mr.  Dumble  as  follows: 

British  Thermal 
Units.  Dry. 


From  Medina  county .  11,320 

From  Milam  county  .  11,169 

From  Milam  county .  11,278 

From  Robertson  county  . 11,320 


In  order  to  compare  the  heat  units  in  lignite  as  actually  deter¬ 
mined  wdth  those  obtained  by  calculation,  we  have  prepared  a 
Table  based  on  our  recent  analyses.  The  Goutal  formula,  (p.  25), 
was  used  for  the  calculations  based  on  proximate  analyses  and 
the  DuLong  formula  for  those  based  on  ultimate  analyses.  The 
results  are  as  follows: 


56 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


Analysis  No. 

Heating  Power,  B.  T. 

U.  Dry. 

Theoretical 
Evaporation 
in  Pounds  ol 
Water  from 
and  at  212°  F. 
per  Pound  of 
Lignite.  Dry. 

Calculated. 

Determined. 

From 

Proximate 

Analysis. 

From 

Ultimate 

Analysis. 

40  . . . . . 

12,948 

8,852 

10,220 

10.58 

69 . . . . 

12,570 

9,081 

10,340 

10.71 

12  _ _ 

11,933 

8,542 

8,979 

9.29 

57  .  _ _ _ 

11,885 

10,853 

11,230 

11.62 

18  _ _ _  _ 

12,1^  . 

10,115 

9,855 

10.19 

14 _ _ _ _ 

12,106 

10,107  . 

10,510 

10.87 

16 _ _ _ 

11,805 

9,910 

9,344 

9.67 

41 _ _ _ 

13,098 

9,247 

10,600 

10.97 

17  . . 

12,644 

10,204 

10,510 

10.87 

66  _  _  . 

13,049 

10,840 

11.21 

18  . . . . 

11 ; 877 

9,548 

9,782 

10.12 

86  _ _ 

12,535 

10,282 

10,540 

10.90 

20 . . . . 

12,127 

10,026 

10,120 

10.47 

21  _ 

12,644 

10,330 

10,226 

10.58 

22 _ _ 

12,410 

9,841 

9,709 

10.04 

23 . . . . 

11,922 

9,832 

9,709 

10.04 

66 . . . 

12,661 

10,734 

U,182 

11.57 

44 _ _ _ 

12,426 

9,315 

10,900 

11.2!< 

28 _ _ _ _ _ 

12,914 

9,897 

10,030 

10.38 

25  _ _ 

13,510 

9,872 

9,757 

10.09 

26  _ 

12,856 

9,570 

10,030 

10.38 

89 _ 

12,601 

9,814 

10,410 

10.77 

2.9  _ 

12,570 

9,274 

9,855 

10.19 

Average  - 

12,489 

9,784 

10,212 

10.50 

An  examination  of  this  Table  shows  that  the  Gontal  formula 
applied  to  the  calculation  of  heat  units  from  the  proximate 
analysis  of  lignites  o-ives  on  the  averasre,  results  that  are  22.30 

t/  O  O  C?  7 

per  cent,  higher  than  the  heat  units  obtained  by  actual  deter¬ 
mination.  It  is,  therefore,  unreliable  and  can  not  be  used  with 
a  reasonable  degree  of  accuracy. 

The  modified  DuLong  formula,  applied  to  ultimate  analyses 
of  lignites  gives,  on  the  average,  results  that  are  4.10  per  cent, 
lower  than  the  determined  heat  units,  and  may  he  used  for  ap¬ 
proximate  results. 

Applied  to  proximate  analyses  of  coal,  the  Gontal  formula 
gives  results  which,  on  the  average,  are  10.67  per  cent,  too  high, 
and  the  modified  DuLong  formula  applied  to  ultimate  analyses 
gives  results  which,  on  the  average,  are  almost  the  same  as 
those  obtained  in  the  calorimeter.  In  this  connection  the  Table 
on  p.  26  may  be  consulted. 

In  the  Table  giving  the  calculated  heat  units  in  Texas  lignites 
we  have  included  a  calculation  of  the  theoretical  evaporation 
in  pounds  of  water  from  and  at  212  degrees  Fahrenheit  per 
pound  of  lignite,  dry  basis.  The  results  vary  from  9.29  to  11.62 
pounds  of  water  per  pound  of  lignite,  the  general  average 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


57 


being  10.56,  dry  basis.  In  actual  practice  tbe  efficiency  of  lig¬ 
nite  as  a  fuel  under  steam  boilers  varies  according  to  circum¬ 
stances,  and  no  rule  of  general  application  can  be  given. 

It  is  stated  that  one  of  the  railroads  in  Texas  will  soon  begin 
a  series  of  tests  with  lignite  as  fuel  for  locomotives.  If  this 
work  is  undertaken,  the  results  will  be  of  great  interest  and 
value. 

It  is  likely  that  tests  will  be  made  during  the  coming  winter 
at  the  new  power  house  of  the  University  with  reference  to  sta¬ 
tionary  boilers. 


Chapter  III. 


THE  USE  OF  PRODUCER  GAS  IN  TEXAS. 

BY 

Drury  McNeill  Phillips. 

During  the  last  few  years  there  has  been  a  marked  increase 
in  the  use  of  lignite  for  making  gas  in  gas-producers.  The  gas 
thus  made  is  used  for  power,  e.  g.  in  gas  engines  of  special 
design,  or  for  fuel,  e.  g.  for  burning  lime,  etc.  So  far  as 
knoYm,  this  gas  is  not  used  in  Texas  for  burning  brick,  sewer- 
pipe,  tiling,  etc.,  although  it  would  certainly  be  well  adapted 
for  such  purposes. 

The  use  of  lignite  for  making  gas  is  confined  to  the  above 
mentioned  purposes.  No  illuminating  gas  is  made  from  this 
material,  although  an  excellent  light  could  be  supplied  by  use 
of  some  of  the  well  known  types  of  incandescent  mantles,  such 
as  the  Welsbach,  etc. 

There  have  been  installed  in  this  State  56  producers  for 
making  gas.  Of  this  number  there  are  now  47  in  active  opera¬ 
tion,  representing  12,270  engine  horse-power.  Of  the  36  estab¬ 
lishments  that  have  been  recorded  6  are  now  out  of  commis- 
sion,  3  make  fuel  gas  for  burning  lime,  1  uses  coal  from  New 
Mexico,  1  coal  from  Colorado,  1  now  uses  natural  gas  and 
1  uses  a  mixture  of  semi-anthracite  from  Arkansas  and  Texas  . 
lignite.  This  leaves  23  establishments  that  use  Texas  lignite 
exclusively.  The  consumption  of  lignite  at  these  plants  is 
about  180  tons  per  24  hours,  and  the  total  gas  engine  horse¬ 
power  is  12,270. 

Most  of  the  installations  are  of  comparatively  small  size,  for 
out  of  the  total  11,490  engine  horse-power  in  operation  7,700 
(=67  per  cent.)  are  represented  by  two  plants.  This  leaves  only 
3,790  horse-power  to  be  divided  among  21  plants. 

The  three  cement  plants,  at  Eagle  Ford,  Harry  and  San  An¬ 
tonio,  represent  at  present  8,300  horse-power,  and,  upon  the 
addition  of  the  600  horse-power  at  San  Antonio,  they  will  rep¬ 
resent  8,900  horse-power. 

But  the  success  that  has  been  reached  in  the  smaller  plants 


60 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


indicates  the  adaptability  of  the  producer  and  gas  engine  to  re¬ 
quirements  varying  from  50  to  250  horse  power,  quite  as  well 
as  to  the  larger  uses. 

The  producer  plants  in  Texas  are  scattered  over  a  wide  area, 
from  Kingsville  to  Gainesville  and  from  San  Angelo  to  Hunts¬ 
ville.  In  visiting  the  26  establishments  that  were  upon  the 
itinerary  there  was  necessary  a  total  travel  of  more  than  2,500 
miles,  and  if  all  of  the  plants  had  been  visited,  the  trip, would 
have  involved  nearly  4,000  miles.  This  circumstance  has  an  im¬ 
portant  bearing  on  the  utilization  of  the  bA^-prcducts,  such  as 
tar  and  ammoniacal  liquor,  for  it  means  that  they  would  have 
to  be  transported  over  considerable  distances  to  some  central 
plant  for  treatment.  This  is  out  of  the  question  now,  so  that 
the  utilization  of  the  tar  and  ammoniacal  liquor  is  possible  only 
at  the  large  plants.  No  attempt  is  made  to  make  use  of  these 
by-products,  save  that  a  little  of  the  tar  is  used  as  fuel  and  a. 
little  for  '‘creosoting”  telephone  and  electric  light  poles,  etc. 

The  cost  of  the  lignite,  delivered,  varies  from  90  cents  to 
$3.65  a  ton,  according  to  distance  from  the  mines,  amount  in¬ 
volved  in  the  contract,  etc.  The  average  value  of  the  lignite 
mined  in  the  State  in  1910,  at  the  mines,  was  96  cents,  the  pro¬ 
duction  having  been  979,232  tons,  the  largest  in  the  history  of 
the  industry.  The  word  of  prophecy  uttered  by  Mr.  E.  T. 
Dumble,  State  Geologist,  in  1891,  in  his  pamphlet,  “The  Utili¬ 
zation  of  Lignite,”  and  repeated,  in  1892,  in  his  “Brown  Coal 
and'  Lignite,”  is  now  being  fulfilled,  and  there  appears  to  be 
no  reason  to  doubt  that  there  will  be  a  further  and  larger  de¬ 
velopment  of  this  source  of  power. 

•  The  supplies  of  lignite  of  all  kinds  is  certainly  beyond  all 
question.  In  the  United  States  there  are  about  123,700  square 
miles  of  lignite  territory  distributed  as  follows: 


Alabama  .  6,000  - 

Arkansas  .  5,900 

Louisiana  .  8,800 

Fontana  . : .  7,000 

North  Dakota  .  31,000 

South  Dakota  .  4,000 

Tennessee  .  1,000 

Texas  .  60,000 


123,700 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


61 


The  lignite  area  in  Texas  comprises  nearly  one-half  of  the  en¬ 
tire  known  area  in  the  United  States  and  is  nearly  as  large  as 
the  entire  State  of  Missouri.  Practically  all  varieties  of  lignite 
are  found  here,  and  there  is  offered  a  wide  choice  to  the  designers 
of  producer  plants,  even  inclusive  of  material  that  carries  75 
per  cent,  of  volatile  and  combustible  matter.  There  is  no  inten¬ 
tion,  in  this  paper,  to  prepare  a  dissertation  on  gas- 
producers  or  to  enter  into  the  details  of  the  design  and  construc¬ 
tion  of  producer-gas  plants.  We  wish  merely  to  give  the  chief 
results  of  personal  observation  at  26  plants  that  were  visited  and 
information  derived  by  correspondence  with  ten  other  plants. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  that  the  writer  has  served  his  time 
in  the  shops  of  the  Allis-Chalmers  Company,  Chicago,  and  West 
Allis,  and  was  afterwards  in  the  gas  department  of  an  establish¬ 
ment  in  Texas  that  used  60  tons  of  lignite  a  day  in  gas-producers. 
He  endeavors  to  look  at  the  matter  from^  a  practical  standpoint, 
and  has  visited  by  far  the  larger  number  of  producer  plants  in 
Texas  for  the  purpose  of  acquainting  himself  with  what  is  now 
being  done  here. 

It  is  beyond  question  that  a  very  active  interest  is  now  being 
shown  in  the  use  of  producer-gas  made  from  lignite,  and  as  ex¬ 
perience  is  gained  both  in  the  handling  of  the  various  types  of 
producers,  and,  more  especially,  in  the  design  and  construction 
of  engines  for  using  large  volumes  of  a  gas  of  low  heating  power, 
the  use  of  lignite  will  be  extended. 

The  total  producer  horse-power,  operating  on  lignite  in 
Texas,  is  now  (about)  13,000,  while  the  total  engine  horse-power 
is  12,270.  In  such  use  of  lignite  Texas  exceeds  all  of  the  other 
States  combined,  as  it  exceeds,  in  lignite  area,  all  of  the  other 
States. 

In  certain  favored  localities  within  reach  of  the  natural  gas 
fields  of  Clay  and  Wichita  Counties,  Texas,' and  of  the  Caddo 
fields  in  Louisiana,  lignite  faces  a  serious  competitor.  This  com¬ 
petition,  however,  is  not  manifested  throughout  the  State  at 
large,  and  even  in  north  Texafe,  where  natural  gas  is  available, 
some  of  the  larger  establishments  prefer  lignite.  The  question  of 
competition  from  natural  gas,  excellent  as  this  fuel  is,  is  more 
academic  than  practical.  So  far  as  is  known,  only  one  large  es¬ 
tablishment  is  to  change  from  producer-gas  to  natural  gas,  while 
its  near-by  neighbors  will  continue  to  use  lignite. 


62 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


It  is  a  question  of  relative  economy  into  which  many  diverse 
factors  enter,  and  we  do  not  discuss  them  here. 

If  there  is  any  one  thing  that  stands  out  more  prominently 
than  others,  as  the  result  of  these  observations  and  investigations, 
it  is  that  the  best  results  in  producer-gas  engine  practice  are 
likely  to  follow  from  a  consideration  of  the  plant  as  a  compact 
unit,  a  unit  in  which  the  producer  is  a  part  of  the  engine  and  the 
engine  a  part  of  the  producer. 

We  do  not  mean  to  say  that  good  results  are  not  obtained  by 
the  use  of  a  producer  not  specially  designed  for  the  engine  or 
by  the  use  of  an  engine  not  specially  designed  for  the  producer. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  good  results  are  obtained  in  establish¬ 
ments  where  the  producer  is  designed  and  built  without  particu¬ 
lar  reference  to  the  type  of  engine  to  be  used,  as  also  where  the 
engine  is  supposed  to  handle  the  gas  from  almost  any  kind  of 
standard  producer. 

« 

But  we  believe  that  better  results,  more  uniform  and  more 
economical,  can  be  secured  by  designing  the  producer  for  the 
engine  and  the  engine  for  the  producer.  Producer  and  engine 
must  be  regarded  as  a  compact  and  symmetrical  unit  to  do  a  cer¬ 
tain  thing  at  all  times  to  the  best  advantage. 

Furthermore,  a  producer  and  engine  designed  to  operate  on  a 
certain  kind  of  fuel  can  not  be  expected  to  give  as  good  results 
on  some  other  kind  of  fuel.  Within  certain  limits,  to  be  de¬ 
termined  when  the  plant  is  designed,  the  results  should  not  vary 
excessively,  but  they  will  vary,  through  no  fault  of  producer  or 
engine,  if  the  character  of  the  fuel  is  materially  changed.  There 
is  a  wide  variation  in  •the  composition  of  lignite,  and  this  varia¬ 
tion  gives  rise  to  differences  in  the  amount  and  nature  of  the 
gas,  the  tar  and  ammoniacal  liquor.  ’ 

An  engine  designed  to  operate  on  a  rich  gas  will  certainly  not 
work  to  its  rated  capacity  on  a  poor  gas.  It  is  not  fed  on  ma- 
terial  that  it  can  utilize.  It  can  mot  do  its  work,  any  more  than 
a  strong  man,  accustomed  to  strong  food,  can  do  his  work  on 
milk  toast.  If  the  heat  units  are  not  in  the  gas,  the  engine  cer¬ 
tainly  can  not  get  them  out,  and  if  the  heat  units  are  not  in  his 
gas.  the  lime-burner  certainly  can  not  burn  his  charge.  It  is 
not  a  question  of  tuyeres,  or  gas-ports  or  air  valves ;  it  is  a  ques¬ 
tion  of  heat  units  in  the  gas. 

In  Bulletin  No.  416,  United  States  Geological  Survey,  1909, 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


63 


“Recent  Development  of  the  Producer-Gas  Power  Plant  in  the 
United  States,”  by  Robert  H.  Pernald,  there  is  given  a  list  of 
16  installations  in  Texas.  Tliese  were  as  follows,  by  localities: 

Blooming  Grove.  Corpus  Christi,  (near)  Dallas,  Garwood, 
Gatesville,  Leonard,  Mart,  Mineola,  Rockport,  Royse,  Smith- 
ville,  Stephenville,  Taylor,  Teague  and  Yorktown.  With  the  ex¬ 
ception  of  the  plants  at  Royse  and  Taylor,  which  used  anthra¬ 
cite,  all  of  these  used  lignite.  To  Mr.  Fernald’s  list  we  have 
added  20  more,  so  that  there  are  now  36  gas-producer  plants  in 
the  State,  with  5  out  of  commission.  The. total  producer  horse¬ 
power,  as  given  by  Mr.  Pernald,  was  8,001,  and  the  total  engine 
power  was  7,616.  We  have  increased  these  to  (about)  13,000  and 
12,270,  respectively. 

To  those  who  wish  to  inform  themselves  as  to  the  progress 
of  producer-gas  practice  in  the  United  States  and  to  acquire 
concise  and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  possibilities  in  this  direc¬ 
tion  we  would  commend  Mr.  Pernald ’s  paper. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  give  here  a  list  of  the  producer  plants 
mentioned  by  Mr.  Pernald,  and  we  have  prepared  a  Table  to  set 
forth  the  main  facts.  This  table  gives  the  number  of  producers 
in  each  State,  the  total  producer  horse-power,  the  total  engine 
horse-power  and  the  fu6l  used,  together  with  the  number  of 
producer  plants,  the.  producer  horse-power  and  the  engine  • 
horse-power  expressed  as  percentages  of  the  respective  totals. 

In  this  table  under  the  term  “bituminous  coal”  is  included 
also  sub-bituminous  coal,  under  the  term  “anthracite”  is  in¬ 
cluded  semi-anthracite,  and  under  the  term  “lignite”  is  in¬ 
cluded  brown  coal. 


TABLE  SHOWING  PRODUOER-GAS  PLANTS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES^ARRANGED  FROM  FERNALD, 


64 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


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Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


65 


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Hf)  Bulletin  of  the  U niversity  of  Texas 

r  An  examination  of  this  Table  shows  that  there  wei'e  in  the 
United  States,  at  that  time,  1908-1909,  481  producer  plants,  of 
which  Texas  had  16,  or  3.36  per  cent.,  ranking  twelfth.  Of  pro¬ 
ducer  horse-power  there  were  123,268,  of  which  Texas  had  8,001, 
or  6.48  per  cent.,  ranking  fourth.  Of  engine  horse-power  there 
were  61,585,  of  which  Texas  had  7,616,  or  12.33  per  cent.,  rank¬ 
ing  second.  This  is  in  respect  of  all  kinds  of  fuel,  bituminous 
coal,  anthracite  and  lignite. 

But  when  we  consider  the  use  of  lignite  alone,  for  there  is 
very  little  bituminous  coal  or  anthracite  used  in  producers  in 
Texas,  the  situation  is  radically  changed.  According  to  the  data 
in  Mr.  Fernald’s  paper,  there  were  in  the  United  States  9,275 
producer  horse-power  from  lignite,  viz;  625  in  Colorado,  50  in 
Oklahoma,  7,985  in  Texas,  550  in  Washington  and  65  in  Wyom¬ 
ing.  Of  th  9,275  lignite  producer  horse-power  Texas  had  7,985, 
or  86.10  per  cent,  of  the  total.  There  were  8,570  engine  horse¬ 
power  derived  from  producers  operated  on  lignite  distributed 
as  follows:  Colorado  380,  Oklahoma  50,  Texas  7.525.  Washing- 
ton  550,  Wyoming  65.  Of  the  8,570  engine  horse-power  derived 
from  lignite,  Texas  was  credited  with  7,525,  or  87  8  per  cent,  of 
the  total.  Texas  has  not  only  the  largest  output  of  lignite,  more 
than  double  that  of  any  other  State,  and  the  largest  lignite  area,  • 
twice  that  of  any  other  State,  it  also  utilizes  its  lignite  for  mak¬ 
ing  gas  to  the  extent  of  87.8  per  cent,  of  the  total  engine  power 
thus  derived  in  the  entire  country. 

North  Dakota  has  31,000  square  miles  of  lignite  area,  being 
next  to  Texas  in  this  respect,  and  mines  about  400,000  tons  of 
lignite  a  year,  but  at  the  time  of  the  preparation  of  ^Ir.  Fer¬ 
nald’s  report  there  was  not  a  single  lignite  gas-producer  in  that 
State. 

It  may,  therefore,  be  said  with  entire  accuracy  that  Texas 
leads  the  country  in  area,  production  and  utilization  of  lignite. 

In  Bulletin  No.  261,  1905,  United  States  Geological  Survey, 
there  are  given  the  results  of  testing  two  Texas  lignites  in  the 
coal  testing  plant  at  St.  Louis.  These  tests  were  under  the  care  of 
Mr.  Robert  H.  Fernald.  The  producer  was  a  No.  7  Wood,  250 
horse-power.  The  engine  was  a  three-cylinder  vertical  Westing- 
house  gas  engine,  rated  at  225  brake  horse-power.  It  was  belted 
to  a  six-pole  175-kilowatt  Westinghouse  direct-current  generator. 

Without  going  into  all  of  the  details  of  the  work  conducted 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


67 


there  we  will  give  the  chief  results  as‘  set  forth  in  the  above- 
mentioned  Bulletin. 

The  first  test  was  made  on  lignite  from  the  Houston  County 
Coal  &  Manufacturing  Company,  Crockett,  Houston  County. 
The  analysis  of  the  lignite  used  was  as  follows: 

Per  cent. 

Moisture  . . 33.50 

Volatile  matter  . 32.34 

Fixed  carbon  .  23.80 

Ash  . 10.36 

Sulphur  .  0.63 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U .  7,267 

Duration  of  test, . hours  21.67 

Total  coal  consumed  in  producer . .  pounds  12,800 

Moisture  in  coal . per  cent.  33.50 

Dry  coal  consumed  in  producer . . . pounds  8,510 

Refuse  from  dry  coal . per  cent.  15.85 

Total  refuse  from  coal . pounds  1,327 

Total  combustible  consumed  in  producer . pounds  7,183 

LIGNITE  CONSUMED,  POUNDS  PER  HOUR. 

Lignite  consumed  in  producer . . .  590 

Dry  lignite  consumed  in  producer .  393 

Combustible  consumed  in  producer . . .  332 

Equivalent  lignite  used  by  producer  plant .  660 

Equivalent  dry  lignite  used  by  producer  plant .  439.5 

Equivalent  combustible  used  by  producer  plant .  371.3 

BRITISH  THERMAL  UNITS. 

Per  pound  of  lignite  as  fired .  7,267 

Per  pound  of  dry  lignite .  10,928 

Per  pound  of*  combustible . 12,945 

Per  cubic  foot  of  standard  gas .  169.7 

Prom  standard  gas  per  pound  dry  lignite  burned 

in  producer  . .  7,260 

Prom  standard  gas  per  hour  per  brake  horse-power.  .  12,230 

GAS  PRODUCED,  CUBIC  FEET  (reduced  to  standard). 

Total  . 363,654 

Per  hour  . .  16,800 

Per  pound  lignite  consumed  in  producer .  28.4 

Per  pound  dry  lignite  consumed  in  producer .  42.7 

Per  pound  combustible  consumed  in  producer .  50.6 


68  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


Per  pound  equivalent  lignite  used  by  producer  plant  25.5 

Per  pound  equivalent  dry  coal  used  by  producer  plant  38.2 

Per  pound  equivalent  combustible  used  by  producer 

plant  .  45.3 

HORSE-POWER  DEVELOPED. 

Average  electrical  horse-power  available  for  outside 

purposes  .  187 

Average  electrical  horse-power  developed  at  switch¬ 
board  .  198 

Average  brake  horse-power^  available  for  outside  pur¬ 
poses  . .  220 

Average  brake  horse-power  developed  at  engine .  233 


^Based  on  an  assumed  efficiency  of  85  per  cent,  for  generator 
and  belt. 


LIGNITE  CONSUMED  IN  PRODUCER,  POUNDS  PER  HORSE-POWER  HOUR. 


Coal  as 
Fired. 

Dry 

Coal. 

Com¬ 

bustible. 

Per  electrical  horse-power  available  for  outside  pur- 

poses  _  _  _  _ 

3.16 

2.10 

1.78 

Per  electrical  horse-power  developed  at  switch-board. 

2.98 

1.99 

1.68 

Per  brake  horse-power^  available  for  outside  purposes 

2.68 

1.79 

1.51 

Per  brake  horse-power^  developed  at  engine _  _ 

2.54 

1.69 

1.43 

Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  electri- 

cal  horse-power  available  for  outside  purposes _ 

3.53 

2.35 

1.99 

Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  electri- 

cal  horse-power  developed  at  switch-board _ 

3.34 

2.22 

1.88 

Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  brake 

horse-power  available  for  outside  purposes..  . 
Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  brake 

3.00 

2.20 

1.69 

horse-power  developed  at  engine... _ 

2.83 

1.99 

1.60 

^Based  on  an  assumed  efficiency  of  85  per  cent,  for  generator  and  belt. 


AVERAGE  COMPOSITION  OF  PRODUCER-GAS  BY  VOLUME. 

Per  cent. 


Carbon  dioxide  .  11.10 

Carbon  monoxide  .  14.43 

Hydrogen  .  10.54 

Methane  .  7.48 

Nitrogen  . 56.22 

Oxygen  . 0.22 


‘‘The  gas  from  this  lignite  was  not  so  rich  as  that  from  the 
North  Dakota  lignite  that  was  tested,  but  it  was  higher  in  heat 
units  than  is  the  gas  obtained  from  ordinary  soft  coal.  The  lig¬ 
nite  was  more  difficult  to  handle  in  the  producer  than  bituminous 
coal,  but  by  frequent  poking  and  by  supplying  the  right  amount 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


69 


of  air  to  the  producer  the  bed  was  kept  in  good  condition,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  thirty-hour  test  it  was  possible  to  break  up  the 
clinkers  in  the  bed,  requiring  the  removal  of  only  a  few  ashes 
before  beginning  a  new  test.  This  lignite  yielded  a  large  amount 
of  tar  of  the  same  kind  as  the  North  Dakota  lignite,  yellow  and 
sticky.  As  a  producer  fuel  it  is  better  than  many  grades  of 
bituminous  coal.” 

Another  test  was  made  on  lignite  from  the  mines  of  the  Con¬ 
sumers’  Lignite  Company,  at  Hoyt,  Wood  County,  Texas. 

This  lignite  had  the  following  composition : 


Per  cent. 


Moisture  . 33.71 

Volatile  matter  .  29.25 

Fixed  carbon  .  29.76 

Ash  .  7.28 

Sulphur  .  0.53 

Heating  power  B.  T.  U .  7,348 


Duration  of  test  . hours  19.33 

Total  lignite  consumed  in  producer . pounds  9,050 

iMoisture  in  lignite . per  cent.  33.71 

Dry  lignite  consumed  in  producer . pounds  5,999 

Refuse  from  dn^  lignite . per  cent.  10.98 

Total  refuse  from  lignite . pounds  658.7 

Total  combustible  consumed  in  producer . pounds  5,340.3 


LIGNITE  CONSUMED,  POUNDS  PER  HOUR 


Lignite  consumed  in  producer .  468 

Dry  lignite  consumed  in  producer .  310.3 

Combustible  consumed  in  producer .  276.2 

Equivalent  lignite  used  by  producer  plant .  519.5 

Equivalent  dry  lignite  used  by  producer  plant .  344.4 

Equivalent  combustible  used  by  producer  plant .  306.6 

BRITISH  THERMAI.  UNITS. 

Per  pound  of  lignite  as  fired .  7,348 

Per  pound  of  dry  lignite .  11,086 

Per  pound  of  combustible .  12,450 

Per  cubic  foot  of  standard  gas .  156.2 

From  standard  gas  per  pound  dry  lignite  burned  in  pro¬ 
ducer  .  8,060 

From  standard  gas  per  hour  per  brake  horse-power.  .  .  .  10,570 


70 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 
GAS  PRODUCED,  CUBIC  FEET  (reduced  to  standard). 


Total  .  309,140 

Per  hour  .  16,009 

Per  pound  lignite  consumed  in  producer .  34.2 

Per  pound  dry  lignite  consumed  in  producer .  51.6 

Per  pound  combustible  consumed  in  producer .  57.9 

Per  pound  equivalent  lignite  used  by  producer  plant. .  30.8 

Per  pound  equivalent  dry  lignite  used  by  producer  plant  46.4 
Per  pound  equivalent  combustible  used  by  producer 
plant  .  52.2 

HORSE-POVTER  DEVELOPED. 

Average  electrical  horse-power  available  for  outside  pur¬ 
poses  .  189.6 

Average  electrical  horse-power  developed  at  switch¬ 
board  .  201.2 

Average  brake  horse-power^  available  for  outside  pur¬ 
poses  . .  223 

Average  brake  horse-power^  developed  at  engine .  236.5 


^Based  on  an  assumed  efficiency  of  85  per  cent,  for  generator 
and  belt. 

LIGNITE  CONSUMED,  POUNDS  PER  HORSE-POWER  HOUR. 


Coal  as 
Fired. 

Dry 

Coal. 

Com¬ 

bustible. 

Per  electrical  trorse-power  available  for  outside  pur- 

poses  - 

2.47 

1.64 

1.46 

Per  electrical  horse-power  developed  at  switch-board.. 

2.33 

1.54 

1.37 

Per  brake  horse-power  available  for  outside  purposes. 

2.10 

1.39 

1.24 

Per  brake  horse-power  developed  at  engine _ 

1.98 

1.31 

ia7 

Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  electri- 

cal  horse-power  available  for  outside  purposes _ 

2.74 

1.82 

1.62 

Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  electri- 

cal  horse-power  developed  at  switch-board _ 

2.58 

1.71 

1.52 

Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  brake 

horse-poweri  available  for  outside  purposes _ 

2.33 

1.55 

1.38 

Equivalent  pounds  used  by  producer  plant  per  brake 

horse-power^  developed  at  engine _  _ 

2.20 

1.46 

1.30 

^Based  on  an  assumed  efficiency  of  85  per  cent,  for  generator  and  belt. 


COMPOSITION  OF  PRODUCER-GAS  BY  VOLUME. 


Carbon  dioxide  . 9.60 

Carbon  monoxide  .  18.22 

Hydrogen  . ■ .  9.63 

Methane  . 4.81 

Nitrogen  .  57.53 

Oxygen  .  0.20 


Texas  Coals  and  Lig'nUes 


71 


This  lignite  “gave  highly  satisfactory  results  in  the  producer, 
yielding  a  rich,  uniform  gas  and  a  large  amount  of  yellow  tar. 
It  is  an  excellent  fuel  for  producers.  ’  ’ 

The  term  “combustible”  is  used  to  designate  dry  coal  minus 
refuse;  that  is,  the  actual  amount  of  combustible  matter  con¬ 
sumed  for  the  gas  made.  Tlie  term  “equivalent  coal”  refers  to 
the  coal  actually  used  in  the  producer  plus  the  coal  equivalent 
of  the  steam  used  in  operating  the  producer.  It  represents  the 
gross  fuel  consumption  of  the-  entire  plant. 

In  Bulletin  No.  332,  United  States  Geological  Survey,  1908, 
there  are  given  two  producer-gas  tests  made  on  Texas  lignite  at 
the  fuel  testing  plant,  St.  Louis.  These  are  as  follows: 

LIGNITE  PROM  J.  J.  OLSEN  &  SONS,  MILAM  COUNTY. 

Per  cent. 


Moisture  .  32.20 

Volatile  matter  . 30.11 

Fixed  carbon  . 7,870 

Ash  .  8.87 

Sulphur  .  0.88 

Heating  power,  B.  T.  U.,  car  sample .  7,870 


Size  as  used :  over  one  inch,  61  per  cent. ;  %  inch  to  1  inch,  18 
per  cent. ;  ^4  inch  to  I/2  inch,  8  per  cent. ;  under  ^4  inch,  13  per 

cent.  Duration  of  test,  50  hours.  Average  electrical  horse¬ 
power,  200.1.  Average  heating  power,  B.  T.  U.,  per  cubic  foot 
of  gas,  171.8.  .Total  coal  fired,  25,000  pounds. 

ANALYSIS  OF  GAS  BY  VOLUME. 

Per  cent. 


Carbon  dioxide  .  10.3 

Carbon  monoxide  .  19.8 

Hydrogen .  14.8 

Methane  .  2.4 

Nitrogen  .  51.3 

Oxygen  .  0.7 

Ethylene  . 0.7 


72 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


1 

Lignite 
as  Fired. 

Dry 

Lignite. 

Com¬ 

bustible. 

Lignite  consumed  in  producer  per  horse-power  hour, 
pounds. 

Per  electrical  horse-power: 

Commercially  available  _ 

2.70 

1.83* 

1.59 

Developed  at  switch-board _  _ i 

2.55 

1.73 

1.50 

Per  brake  horse-power: 

Commercially  available _ 

2.29 

1.56 

1.35 

Developed  at  engine _ 

2.17 

1.47 

1.28 

Equivalent  used  by  producer  plant,  poimds. 

Per  electrical  horse-power: 

Commercially  available _  _ 

2.90 

1.97 

1.71 

Developed  at  switch-board _ 1 _ 

2.75 

1.86 

1.62 

Per  brake  horse-power: 

Commercially  available _ 

2.47 

1.67 

1.46 

Developed  at  engine _ 

2.33 

1.58 

1.38 

LIGNITE  FROM  HOYT,  WOOD  COUNTY. 


(probably  from  mines  of  Consumers’  Lignite  Company,  AV. 


Moisture  .  34.08 

V'olatile  matter  .  33.15 

Fixed  carbon  .  25.32 

Ash  .  7.45 

Sulphur  .  0.49 

Heating  power,  B.  T.  U.,  car  sample .  7,497 


Size  as  used :  Over  1  inch,  68  per  cent. ;  %  inch  to  1  inch, 
16  per  cent. ;  %  inch  to  %  inch,  7  per  cent. ;  under  i/j.  inch,  9 
per  cent.  Duration  of  test,  50  hours.  Average  electrical  horse¬ 
power,  193.4  Average  heating  power,  B.  T.  V per  cubic  foot 
of  gas,  156.1.  Total  coal  fired,  24,500  pounds. 


Analysis  of  gas  by  volume :  Per  cent. 

Carbon  dioxide  .  10.3 

Carbon  monoxide  .  20.0 

Hydrogen  .  15.4 

Methane  .  2.5 

Nitrogen  .  51.8 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


73 


Lignite 
as  Fired. 

Dry 

Lignite. 

Com¬ 

bustible. 

Lignite  consumed  in  producer  per  horse-power  hour, 
pounds. 

Per  electrical  horse-power: 

Commercially  available _ _ 

2.66 

1.75 

1.55 

Developed  at  switch-board _ ^ _ 

2.54 

1.67 

1.48 

Per  brake  horse-power: 

Commercially  available _ 

2.26 

1.49 

1.32 

Developed  at  engine _ 

2.16 

1.42 

1.26 

Equivalent  used  by  producer  plant,  pounds. 

Per  electrical  horse-power: 

Commercially  available _ 

2.87 

1.89 

1.67 

Developed  at  switch-board _ 

2.74 

1.81 

1.60 

Per  brake  horse-power: 

Commercially  available _ 

2.43 

1.61 

1.42 

Developed  at  engine _ _ 

2.33 

1.54 

1.36 

.The  Westinghoiise  Machine  Company,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  in  its 
Circular  W.  M.  503,  September,  1909,  gives  the  results  of  testing 
lignite  from  the  mines  of  the  Consumers’  Liraite  Company, 
Hoyt,  AA^ood  County,  Texas.  The  analysis  of  the  lignite  used  was 


as  follows : 

Per  cent. 

Moisture  .  . .  23.83 

Volatile  matter  .  38.32 

Fixed  carbon  .  29.22 

Ash  .  8.63 

Heating  power,  B.  T.  U .  8,007 


The  engine  was  operated  72  hours.  .The  total  lignite  fired  was 
16,970  pounds.  The 'average  load  was  128  brake  horse-power  and 
the  gross  lignite  per  brake  horse-power  was  1.85  pounds.  The 
gas  was  delivered  through  a  line  of  8-inch  pipe  over  650  feet 
long,  with  no  correction  for  leaking  or  for  gas  consumed  by 
three  pilot  lights  burning  continuously  in  the  producer-house, 
laboratory  and  engine  room. 

In  another  case,  given  by  this  Company,  the  same  lignite  being 
used,  the  following  statement  is  made; 


Duration  of  test . 46.5  hours 

Total  lignite  fired . . 12,693  pounds 

Heat  value  per  pound . 8,007  B.  .T.  U. 

Total  heat  in-put=12,693,x8,007 . 101,632,857  B.  T.  U. 

Total  gas  made  (corrected  to  62  degrees  Fahrenheit 

and  30  inches  barometer) . . . 612,361  cubic  feet 

or  49.03  cubic  feet  per  pound  of  lignite  fired. 

Total  heat  value  of  gas  per  cubic  foot . 128.3  B.  ,T.  U. 

Effective  heat  value  of  gas  per  cubic  foot . 117.1  B.  T.  U. 


74 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


Total  output . 78,565,816  B.  T.  U. 

Effective  output  . 71,707,463  B.  .T.  U. 

78,565,816 

Total  efficiency= - = . 77.3  per  cent. 

101,632,857 

71,717,463 

Effective  efficiencv= - . 70.5  per  cent. 

101,632,857 

The  composition  of  the  gas  in  this  latter  test  was  as  follows : 

Per  cent. 


Carbon  dioxide  .  12.4 

Oxygen  .  0.9 

Carbon  monoxide  .  13.3 

Marsh  gas  .  3.6 

Hydrogen  .  14.7 

Nitrogen  .  55.1 


The  Smith  Gas  Power  Co.,  Lexington,  Ohio,  in  its  circular  of 
recent  date,  gives  the  results  of  operating  on  .Texas  lignite  at  two 
establishments.  In  the  one  case  the  original  plant  was  on  steam, 
power,  using  80  horse-power,  the  cost  for  fuel  and  supplies  be¬ 
ing  $10.00,  and  for  labor  $5.00  per  24  hours,  total,  $15.00.  This 
plant  changed  to  producer-gas.  The  cost  of  the  lignite  was 
$2.22  a  ton,  the  average  load  on  the  engine- was  80  horse-power, 
and  the  cost  of  fuel  and  supplies  was  $5.50,  and  for  labor  $5.00 
per  24  hours,  total  $11.50,  as  against  $15.00  for  steam.  In  the 
other  case  steam  was  also  used,  before  the  change  to  producer-gas 
was  made,  with  an  average  load  of  30  K.  W.  The  plant  is  now 
operated  on  producer-gas  made  from  lignite.  The  cost  of  the  lig¬ 
nite  is  $1.20  a  ton ;  the  load  is  the  same,  and  there  is  a  saving  of 
two  tons  of  fuel  per  night. 

The  producer-gas  plants  that  have  been  established  in  .Texas 
are  as  follows,  by  towns  and  counties: 

Those  visited  personally  are  marked  with  a 


To^vn.  County. 

Altair*  . Colorado 

Amarillo  . '. . .  Potter 

Blooming  Grove*  . Navarro 

Brownwood . Brown 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


75 


Calallen*  . 

Canadian  . . 

Corpus  Christi*  .... 

Dallas*  . 

Dittlinger*  . 

Eagle  Ford*  . 

Gainesville*  . 

Garwood*  . 

Gatesville*  . 

Glen  Flora . 

Harry*  . .  , 

Houston*  . 

Huntsville  . 

Kingsville*  . 

Leonard* . 

Longview  . 

McNeil*  . 

Mart  . . . 

Mineola*  . 

Pittsburg*  . . 

Rockport* . '. 

Round  Rock* . 

Royse*  . 

San  Angelo . 

(near)  San  Antonio* 

Smithville*  . 

Stephenville* . 

.Tavlor*  . 

Teague*  . 

Terrell*  . . 

Weatherford  . 

Yorktown . 


. . .  .Nueces 
,  .Hemphill 
. . .  .Nueces 
....  Dallas 
....  Comal 
. . .  .Dallas 

. Cooke 

. .  Colorado 
. . . .  Coryell 
.  .Wharton 
, .  . .  .Dallas 
....  Harris 
. . .  .Walker 
. . .  .Nueces 
. . .  .  Fannin 

. Gregg 

....  Travis 
.McLennan 

. Wood 

. Camp 

. .  .Aransas 
Williamson 
.  .Rockwall 
Tom  Green 

. Bexar 

. .  .Bastrop 

. Erath 

Williamson 
.  .Freestone 
.  .Kaufman 
....  Parker 
. . .  .DeWitt 


The  plants  at  these  places  vary  in  capacity  within  wide  limits, 
from  one  in  which  there  is  a  30  K.  W.  engine,  with  a  producer 
using  1500  pounds  of  lignite  a  day,  to  one  in  which  there  are  en¬ 
gines  aggregating  4400  horse-power  and  using  60  tons  of  lignite 
per  24  hours. 

The  plants  at  Royse  and  Taylor  used  anthracite  when  in  opera¬ 
tion.  The  plant  at  Pittsburg  uses  a  mixture  of  Arkansas  semi-an¬ 
thracite  and  Texas  lignite.  The  plant  at  Amarillo  uses  Colorado 
bituminous  coal,  and  that  at  Canadian  uses  bituminous  coal  from 
New  Mexico.  The  plants  at  McNeil,  Round  Rock  and  Dittlinger, 
which  are  fuel  gas  plants  for  burning  lime,  used  Texas  coal  and 
lignite.  There  were  26  plants  in  .operation  on  producer-gas  at 


7f) 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


t 


the  time  of  the  preparation  of  this  report,  June,  1911,  but  im¬ 
pending  changes  may  alter  this  number.  Of  these  there  were  23 
that  used  lignite  exclusively,  the  estimated  consumption  being 
180  tons  per  24  hours.  .The  aggregate  gas  engine  horse-power  at 
these  23  plants  was  11,490.  The  total  primary  horse-power  in 
Texas,  used  in  establishments,  etc.,  in  the  last’  census  year  was 
319,371. 

The  producers  in  use  are  made  by  the  following  firms : 

Bethlehem  Steel  Company,  South  Bethlehem,  Penn. 

Pairbanks-Morse  &  Co.,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Elbert  Harvey  (Industrial  Gas  Company),  New  York. 

Herrick  (Industrial  Gas  Company),  New  York. 

Irvin,  J.  H.  McDonough,  The  Murray  Company,  Dallas,  Texas. 

Power  &  ]\Iining  Machinery  Company,  Cudahy,  Wisconsin. 

(Loomis-Pettibone  Producer.) 

Smith  Gas  Power  Company,  Lexington,  Ohio. 

The  Westinghouse  Machine  Company,  East  Pittsburg,  Penn. 

R.  D.  Wood  &  Company,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 

The  gas  engines  that  have  been  and  are  in  use  are  made  by  the 
following  firms : 

Alberger,  Alberger  Gas  Engine  Company,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Allis-Chalmers  Company,  West  Allis,  Wisconsin. 

Bethlehem  Steel  Company,  South  Bethlehem,  Penn. 

.Buckeye,  The  Buckeye  Engine  Co.,  Salem,  Ohio. 

Fairbanks-Morse  &  Co.,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Foos.  The  Foos  Gas  Engine  Company,  Springfield,  Ohio. 
Muenzel.  IMinneapolis  Steel  &  Machinery  Co.,  ]Minneapolis, 
Minn. 

Nash.  The  National  Meter  Co.,  1223  Wabash  ave.,  Chicago,’  Ill. 

Rathbun- Jones,  The  Rathbun-Jones  Engineering  Company, 
Toledo,  Ohio. 

Snow.  Snow  Steam  Pump  Works,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Weber.  The  Weber  Gas  and  Gasoline  Engine  Co..  Kansas 
City,  Missouri. 

The  Westinghouse  Machine  Company,  East  Pittsburg,  Penn. 

It  may  be  worthy  of  note  that  of  the  nine  producer  and  twelve 
engine  manufacturers,  there  are  but  three  that  make  both  pro¬ 
ducer  and  engine,  viz :  The  Bethlehem  Steel  Company,  The  Fair¬ 
banks-Morse  Company  and  Tlie  Westinghouse  Machine  Company. 
The  Bethlehem  producers  and  engines  are  replacing  Loomis- 


Texas  Coals  ayid  Lignites 


77 


Pettibone  producers  and  Snow  engines  in  the  only  plant  at 
which  an}"  of  these  types  of  equipment  are  in  use  This  plant  is 
the  largest  in  the  State,  and,  when  completed,  will  be  of  about 
4,400  horse-power.  The  Fairbanks-Morse  equipment  is  used 
now  at  eight  plants,  aggregating  1,050  horse-power.  There  are  in 
operation  three  Westinghouse  installations  of  a  total  of  740  horse¬ 
power,  which  is  being  increased  to  1,180.  The  Smith  leads  in  the 
number  of  installations,  there  being  now  in  operation  ten  plants 
of  a  total  of  1,615  horse-power,  which  will  be  raised  to  eleven 
plants,  with  a  total  of  2,815  when  producer  operation  is  resumed 
at  Dallas,  and  the  plant  at  San  Antonio  doubled.  P.  D.  Wood 
&  Co.  have  six  installations,  only  four  of  which  were  in  opera¬ 
tion,  with  a  total  of ‘1,125  horse-power.  The  single  Harvey  plant 
is  of  3,300  horse-power,  but  here  producers  are  to  be  replaced 
by  natural  gas  shortly.  Other  makes  are  represented  by  single 
installations. 

With  regard  to  engines,  the  Bethlehem,  replacing  the  Snow, 
will  lead  with  4,400  horse-power  at  a  single  plant,  followed  by 
Allis-Chalmers  with  3,900  horse-power  at  two  plants,  Rathbun- 
Jones,  with  1,235  at  six  plants  to  be  increased  to  1,835  at  seven 
plants,  and  Fairbanks-Morse  with  1,050  horse-power  at  eight 
plants.-  Following  are:  Westinghouse  with  680  horse-power  at 
three  plants,  now  being  increased  to  1,060;  Buckeye  with  600 
horse-power  at  one,  now  operating  at  720  horse-power  on  natural 
gas  and  shortly  to  resume  producer  operation;  Foos,  with  325 
horse-power  at  two  plants,  and  Alberger  with  250  horse-power  at 
a  single  plant.  The  other  makes  are  small  and  in  single  installa¬ 
tions.  In  number  of  plants,  Fairbanks-Morse  leads  with  eight, 
Rathbun- Jones  has  six,  Westinghouse  three,  Allis-Chalmers 
and  Foos  two  each  and  all  others  a  single  plant. 

The  producer  made  by  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Company  is  used 
at  the  following  establishment :  Texas  Portland  Cement  Com¬ 
pany,  Harry  (near)  Dallas  (being  installed). 

The  Fairbanks-Morse  is  used  by:  G.  M.  Jackson,  Garwood; 
G.  C.  Gifford  Plantation,  Glen  Flora;  Huntsville  Electric  Light 

Power  Company,  Huntsville;  Bayliss  Earle,  Mart;  Roekport 
Ice  &  Light  Company,  Roekport;  Smithville  Light  &  Power 
Co.,  Smithville;  Stephenville  Light  &  AVater  Works,  Stephen- 
ville;  Teague  Electric  Light  *&  Pow«r  Co..  Teague. 

The  Harvey  producer  is  used  by  the  Southwestern  States  Port- 


78 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


land  Cement  Company,  Eagle  Ford,  (near)  Dallas.  The  Herrick 
producer  has  been  used  by  the  Dittlinger  Lime  Co.,  Dittlinger. 
The  Irvin  producer  is  used  at  the  shops  of  the  Texas  Midland 
Railway,  Terrell. 

The  Loomis-Pettibone  producer  is  used  by  the  Texas  Portland 
Cement  Company,  Harry,  (near)  Dallas. 

The  Smith  producer  is  used  by:  The  Home’ Light  &  Water 
Co.,  Blooming  Grove;  Brownwood  Water  Works,  Brown- 
wood;  The  People’s  Light  Co.,  Corpus  Christi;  The  Stan- 
ard-Tilton  Milling  Co.,  Dallas;  Gainesville  Electric  Co., 
Gainesville;  Gatesville  Power  &  Light  Co.,  Gatesville;  Kings¬ 
ville  Power  Co.,  Kingsville ;  Mineola  Light  &  Ice  Co.,  Mineola ; 
San  Angelo  Street  Car  Co.,  San  Angelo;  San  Antonio  Portland 
Cement  Co.,  San  Antonio,  and  .The  Yorktown  Light  &  Ice  Co., 
Yorktown. 

The  Westinghouse  producer  is  used  by:  The  Arkansas  & 
Texas  Consolidated  Ice  &  Coal  Co.,  Pittsburg;  The  Canadian 
Water,  Light  &  Power  Co.,  Canadian;  Amarillo  Water,  Light  & 
Power  Co.,  Amarillo,  and  by  plants  at  Weatherford  and  Long¬ 
view,  not  now  in  operation. 

The  R.  D.  Wood  producer  is  used  by:  J.  J.  Richolson,  Al- 
tair;  Nueces  River  Irrigation  Co.,  Calallen;  .The  People’s  Light 
Co.,  Corpus  Christi ;  Houston  Cotton-meal  Mill,  Houston ;  Aus¬ 
tin  White  Lime  Co.,  McNeil;  Round  Rock  White  Lime  Co., 
Round  Rock. 

The  Alberger  gas  engine  is  used  by  Ihe  San  Angelo  Street 
Car  Co.,  San  Angelo. 

The  Allis-Chalmers  gas  engine  is  used  by:  San  Antonio 
Portland  Cement  Co.,  San  Antonio,  and  Southwestern  States 
Portland  Cement  Co.,  Eagle  Ford,  (near)  Dallas. 

The  Bethlehem  Steel  Company’s  gas  engine  is  used  by:  The 
Texas  Portland  Cement  Company,  Harry,  (near)  Dallas. 

The  Buckeye  gas  engine  is  used  by:  The  Stanard-Tilton 
Milling  Co.,  Dallas. 

The  Fairbanks-Morse  &  Co.’s  gas  engine  is  used  where  the 
Fairbanks-Morse  producer  is  installed  and  reference  is  made  to 
the  list  of  producers. 

The  Foos  gas  engine  is  used  by :  J.  J.  Richolson,  Altair,  and 
by  the  Nueces  River  Iia-igation  Co., ‘Calallen. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


79 


The  Muenzel  gas  engine  is  used  by :  The  Gatesville  Power  & 
Light  Co.,  Gatesville. 

The  Nash  gas  engine  is  used  by :  The  Gainesville  Electric 
Co.,  Gainesville. 

The  Pathbun- J ones  gas  engine  is  used  by :  The  Home  Light 
&  Water  Co.,  Blooming  Grove;  The  People’s  Light  Co.,  Corpus 
Christi ;  Houston  Cotton-meal  Mill,  Houston ;  Kingsville  Power 
Co.,  Kingsville;  Mineola  Light  &  Ice  Co.,  Mineola;  Yorktown 
Light  &  Ice  Co.,  Yorktown. 

The  Snow  gas  engine  is  used  by:  The  Texas  Portland  Ce¬ 
ment  Co.,  Harry,  (near)  Dallas. 

The  Weber  gas  engine  is  used  by :  The  Texas  Midland  Rail¬ 
way  in  the  shops  at  Terrell. 

The  Westinghouse  gas  engine  is  used  where  this  type  of  pro¬ 
ducer  is  used  and  reference  is  made  to  the  list  of  producers. 

TABLE  OF  PRODUCER  PLANTS  IN  TEXAS. 

The  plants  visited  personally  are  marked 

The  plants  no  longer  in  operation  are  marked  t. 

Those  using  lignite  exclusively  are  marked  L 

The  plant  at  Amarillo  uses  Colorado  bituminous  coal,  and  is 
being  doubled.  Canadian  uses  New  Mexico  bituminous  coal. 
Pittsburg  uses  a  mixture  of  Arkansas  semi-anthracite  and  Texas 
lignite.  Dallas  uses  natural  gas  now,  but  is  shortly  to  return  to 
producers  on  lignite.  At  Harry,  Bethlehem  producers  and  en¬ 
gines  are  replacing  Loomis-Pettibone  producers  and  Snow  en¬ 
gines.  At  San  Antonio,  Smith  producers  and  Rathbun- Jones 
engine  will  increase  the  capacity  to  1200  horse-power. 


TABLE  OF  PRODUCER  PLANTS  IN  TEXAS. 


80 


liullelin  of  the  University  of  Tesos 


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Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


81 


Following,  is  a  brief  description  of  the  different  plants  vis¬ 
ited.  At  some  of  these  places  it  was  not  possible  to  secure  more 
information  that  is  here  given. ^ 

Altair 

An  irrigation  pumping  plant  on  the  Colorado  river,  Colo¬ 
rado  county,  operated  by  J.  J.  Kicholson.  One  R.  D. 
Wood  &  Co.’s  suction  up-draft  producer  and  fittings.  The  en¬ 
gine  is  a  two-cylinder  vertical  Foos  driving  a  single-phase  high- 
lift  centrifugal  pump,  through  a  12-rope  connection.  The  plant 
was  designed  and  erected  by  the  Southern  Gas  &  Gasoline  En¬ 
gine  Company,  Houston,  but  was  not  in  operation  No  one  in 
authority  could  be  seen,  but  the  service  is  said  to  be  satisfactory, 
when  pumping  is  required. 

Amarillo. 

Amarillo  Water,  Light  and  Power  Company. 

% 

One  We^tinghouse  producer  rated  at  440  horse-power  at  sea 
level,  one  Westinghouse  18"x26"  gas  engine  rated  at  380  horse¬ 
power  at  sea  level,  direct  connected  to  a  Westinghouse  250 
k.  V.  a.  2,300  volt  generator.  This  equipment  is  now  being  du¬ 
plicated. 

I 

The  fuel  is  screened  pea  bituminous  coal  from  Colorado,  and 
costs  $4.00  a  ton.  The  following  operating  data  is  quoted  from  a 
letter  from  the  Company: 

“May,  1911. 

“Total  coal,  pounds,  192,487;  hours  of  actual  operation,  682; 
kilowatts  generated,  88,250 ;  average  pounds  of  coal  per  kilowatt 
hour,  2.19;  average  run  per  day,  22  hours.” 

This  letter  further  states  that  the  average  load  is  130  k.  w., 
and  that  the  gas  will  average  125  B.  ,T.  U.  per  cubic  foot.  The 
production  of  tar  is  a  barrel  in  three  months,  this  coming  from 
the  scrubbers  and  being  full  of  lamp  black.  The  water  from 
the  scrubbers  goes  to  the  sewer. 

Producers  were  installed  here  to  replace  steam,  and  entire 
satisfaction  is  expressed  with  the  operation,  as  is  shown  by 
plans  which  contemplate  a  plant  of  1,000  k.  v.  a. 

^The  places  visited  personally  are  marked  with  a  *- 


82  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

Blooming  Grove.* 

k 

The  Home  Light  &  Water  Company. 

Equipment:  One  60  horse-power  Smith  suction  down-draft 
producer;  one  Rathbun- Jones  two-cylinder  vertical  gas  engine 
of  60  horse-power.  The  engine  is  direct  connected  to  a  line 
shaft  from  which  are  driven  an  Allis-Chalmers  generator,  an 
Ingersoll-Rand  twn-cylinder  air  compressor  for  “blowing’’  a 
well  from  a  depth  of  200  feet,  and  a  Fairbanks-Morse  geared 
two-cylinder  pump  for  lifting  wnter  from  a  .surface  tank  100 
feet  to  a  stand-pipe.  The  generator  is  an  alternator  of  17  k.  w. 
at  2,200  volts,  and  operates  about  12  hours  a  day,  from  noon  un¬ 
til  midnight,  at  an  average  load  of  35  per  cent  .The  compres¬ 
sor  requires  about  25  horse-power,  and  operates  about  seven 
hours.  The  pump  requires  about  12  horse-power  and  operates 
about  four  hours.  The  average  fu^  consumption  is  about  1,600 
pounds  per  12  hours.  The  lignite  used  is  from  the  mines  of  the 
Consumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt  and  Alba,  Wood  County, 
and  costs  $2.10  a  ton,  .delivered. 

The  producer  is  of  an  old  type,  similar  to  the  one  noticed  at 
Mineola,  i.  e.,  the  fire-containing  shell  rests  directly  upon  the 
foundation,  the  ashes  being  drawn  by  hand  with  long-handled 
shovels.  Less  tar  was  noticed  here  than  at  any  plant  visited, 
with  the  exception  of  the  plant  at  Pittsburg,  w^here  the  West- 
inghouse  Tarless  Producer  is  used.  The  jacket  water  is  further 
heated  in  an  exhaust  heater  and  goes  to  the  saturator  at  a  tem¬ 
perature  of  about  140  degrees  Fahrenheit,  which  can  be  in¬ 
creased  to  170  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

.This  producer,  in  addition  to  the  gasoline  engine-driven 
blower  for  starting,  is  further  equipped  with  a  hand  blower  so 
arranged  as  to  be  connected  with  the  producer  only  when  the 
main  air  inlet  through  the  saturator  is  closed.  It  is  used  regu¬ 
larly  to  force  gas  to  the  engine  for  starting.  The  use  of  this 
hand  blower  does  not  seem  to  be  required,  as  it  was  not  observed 
elsewhere. 

The  plant  has  been  in  operation  about  three  years,  during 
which  time  the  repair  account  has  been  very  small.  The  pipes 
in  the  exhaust  water  heater  are  eaten  up  in  18  months. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


83 


Brownwood. 


Brownwood  Water  Works. 

.There  is  a  100  horse-power  Smith  producer  here  operating  on 
lignite.  We  were  unable  to  secure'  further  information  by 
correspondence. 

Calallen."^ 

An  irrigation  pumping  plant,  operated  hy  the  Nueces  River 
Irrigation  Company,  a  co-operative  farming  enterprise. 

One  No.  6  Wood  suction  up-draft  producer  and  standard  fit¬ 
tings.  The  engine  is  a  three-cylinder  vertical  Foos,  with  rope 
drive  to  a  16-inch  Worthington  involute  pump.  This  plant  was 
not  in  operation  at  the  time  of  visiting,  but  information  was  se¬ 
cured  from  the  general  manager  and  the  operating  engineer. 

The  lignite  used  is  from  the  mines  of  the  Bear  Grass  Coal 
Company,  Jewett,  Leon  county.  The  cost,  on  the  producer  fioor, 
is  $3.65  a  ton. 

The  engine  is  rated  at  225  horse-power  at  225  r.  p.  m.  The 
guarantee  calls  for  one  brake  horse-power  from  two  and  one- 
half  pounds  of  lignite,  as  fired,  and  for  the  delivery  of  6,500  gal¬ 
lons  of  water  per  minute  on  a  lift  of  83  feet. 

The  plant  was  put  in  operation  the  first  of  January,  1911, 
but  has  not  been  run  steadily  for  more  than  twelve  hours  at  a 
time.  There  is  no  information  as  to  consumption  of  lignite  or 
details  of  operation.  The  producer  is  of  the  new  Wood  type, 
with  the  upper  third  of  the  producer  walls  and  the  top  water- 
jacketed.  From  the  jacket  a  pipe  conveys  water  to  the  satu¬ 
rator  for  mixing  water-vapor  with  air.  The  temperature  of 
this  air  is  kept  at  about  140  degrees  Fahrenheit  for  normal  op¬ 
erations.  By  increasing  the  temperature  to  170  degrees  Fah¬ 
renheit  the  tendency  towards  ‘  ‘  clinkering  ’  ’  is  arrested  at  an  early 
stage. 

All  of  the  water  for  engine  and  producer  auxiliaries  is  taken 
from  the  main  lift  pipe  through  a  two-inch  line.  The  scrubber- 
water  and  tar  are  pumped  back  into  the  irrigation  canal.  It 
was  at  first  intended  to  allow  the  waste  water,  tar.  etc.,  to  fiow 


84 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


by  gravity  back  into  the  river,  but  as  the  in-take  for  the  Corpus 
Christi  Water  Works  was  but  two  miles  below,  the  waste,  etc., 
was  taken  back  into  the  irrigation  canal.  It  is  not  known  how 
much  ammonia  the  waste  water  carries,  Out  at  any  rate  it  would 
probably  not  be  sufficient  to  benefit  vegetation  under  the  condi¬ 
tions  there. 

This  plant  was  designed  and  installed  by  the  Southern  Gas 
&  Gasoline  Engine  Company,  Houston. 

Canadian. 

Canadian  Water,  Light  &  Power  Company. 

The  equipment  here  consists  of  two  producers  of  100  horse¬ 
power  each  and  two  gas  engines  of  100  horse-power  each,  of 
Westinghouse  make.  The  fuel  is  bituminous  coal  from  New 
Mexico.  This  plant  was  not  visited,  and  no  further  information 
could  be  secured  by  correspondence. 

Corpus  Christi.* 

The  People’s  Light  Company. 

,The  original  plant  here  consisted  of  one  Smith  suction  pro¬ 
ducer  of  125  horse-power  capacity,  and  one  Kathbun- Jones 
three-cylinder  vertical  gas  engine.  The  engine  was  direct 
connected  to  a  Westinghouse  two-phase  generator  at  2,300  volts. 
This  equipment  was  afterwards  increased  by  a  No.  6  Wood 
suction  producer,  rated  at  300  horse-x^ower,  and  a  Rathbun- 
Jones  engine  similar  to  the  one  in  use,  but  rated  at  300  horse¬ 
power.  It  was  found  that  the  producer  would  not  supply  suffi¬ 
cient  gas  for  rated  capacity,  so  a  larger  Wood,  No.  7,  was  in¬ 
stalled  a  few  months  ago  by  the  manufacturer.  Since  that  time 
there  has  been  no  trouble,  the  two  Wood  producers  carrying  the 
entire  load,  while  the  Smith  producer  is  held  in  reserve. 

The  large  engine  carries  the  entire  lighting  and  power  load 
from  6  a.  m.  to  midnight,  the  small  engine  being  then  used. 
Both  generators  deliver  two-phase  current  at  2,300  volts,  but  no 
attempt  is  made  to  sjmchronize.  The  lighting  current  is  trans¬ 
formed  to  110  volts,  with  some  power  current  at  220  volts,  and 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites  85 

the  street  car  current  is  run  through  a  rotary  to  550  volts,  di¬ 
rect  current. 

The  exhaust  from  the  large  engine  is  led  through  a  heater 
for  supplying  water-vapor  to  the  saturator,  which  is  ar¬ 
ranged  to  serve  both  producers.  ,The  maximum  temperature  of 
the  blast  is  150  degrees  Fahrenheit,  which  is  not  as  high  as  has 
been  found  best  at  other  plants  where  a  similar  arrangement  is 
in  use.  It  is  questionable  whether  the  exhaust  from  a  300 
horse-power  engine  will  furnish  enough  water-vapor  for  two 
producers  of  this  size,  particularly  when  the  heater  is  at  least 
25  feet  from  the  engine.  When  the  large  engine  is  shut  down, 
six  hours  out  of  every  twenty-four,  the  blast  is  not  heated  at  all, 
as  the  small  engine  exhausts  direct  into  the  air.  It  is  during  this 
time  that  clinkering  is  most  apt  to  occur. 

On  full  load  the  larger  producer  is  charged  with  200  pounds 
of  lignite  every  hour,  the  smaller  one  with  a  like  amount  every 
two  hours,  both  being  cleaned  every  morning.  In  general,  the 
suction  is  proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  producers  and  the  fuel 
consumed  in  each.  Clinker  troubles  are  frequent  and  serious, 
masses  of  such  size  and  consistency  as  to  require  sledging  on 
the  end  of  a  one-inch  poker  being  of  common  occurrence.  The 
repair  bill  for  broken  pokers  is  sometimes  as  much  as  jj>15.00  in 
a  month.  This  trouble  has  not  been  observed  elsewhere  in  so 
serious  a  form,  and  it  seems  likely  that  means  for  obviating  it 
would  more  than  repay  the  expense.  Among  other  things,  both 
the  temperature  and  the  wetness  of  the  blast  might  be  Increased 
when  a  clinker  is  observed  to  be  forming.  All  cooling,  scrub¬ 
bing  and  jacket  water  is  drawn  direct  from  the  bay  (salt  water) 
by  small  motor-driven  centrifugal  pumps,  and  all  waste  water 
and  tar  runs  into  the  bay.  Several  hundred  pounds  of  tar  are 
produced  daily,  but  no  accurate  measurements  have  been  taken, 
and  there  is  no  attempt  made  to  utilize  this  product. 

Salt  water  makes  no  appreciable  difference  in  producer  oper¬ 
ations,  although  heavy  encrustations  were  observed  at  one  or 
two  points  where  a  slight  leak  had  developed  in  the  out-let  pip¬ 
ing  from  the  engine- jackets.  It  seems  natural  to  suppose  that 
in  time  such  encrustation. would  be  a  source  of  trouble.  It  is 
understood  that  the  original  water-jacketed  exhaust  valves  did 
give  trouble  on  this  account;  at  any  rate,  the5^  have  been  re¬ 
placed  by  air-cooled  valves.  Various  lignites  have  been  tried 


V] 

86  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

here,  such  as  Calvert,  Crockett  and  Rockdale.  The  price  of  the 
Calvert  lignite,  delivered  at  the  works,  is  $2.65  a  ton,  of  the 
Crockett  lignite  $2.67  and  of  the  Rockdale  lignite  $2.47. 

The  operating  labor  consists  of  three  firemen,  two  ash-men 
and  two  engineers.  The  firemen  and  ash-men  are  Mexicans,  at 
$1.50  a  day. 

Owing  to  the  recent  installation  of  the  larger  producer,  no 
definite  method  of  operation  has  been  developed,  nor  are  there 
any  definite  figures  as  to  the  consumption  of  fuel  per  kilowatt 
hour.  Before  the  new  producer  was  installed  and  w'hile  the 
one  then  in  use  was  being  forced  beyond  its  point  of  economy, 
the  fuel  consumption  was  more  than  five  pounds  per  kilow’att 
hour.  Of  late,  however,  this  has  been  reduced  to  a  little  over 
three  pounds,  and  there  is  a  probability  of  an  additional  reduc¬ 
tion,  especially,  if  the  combustible  matter  remaining  in  the  ash 
is  lessened  by  more  frequent  poking  of  the  fuel  bed  and  by 
drawing  ashes  oftener.  Additional  poke-holes  and  ash-doors 
have  been  made  in  the  sides  of  the  two  Wood  producers,  but  as 
these  were  not  observed  elsewhere  in  similar  installations  their 
usefulness  may  be  questioned. 

Dallas.* 


Stanard-Tilton  Milling  Company. 

Equipment:  Three  200  horse-power  Smith  suction  down- 
draft  producers.  One  Buckeye  twdn  tandem  two-cylinder, 
double-acting  horizontal  gas  engine,  direct  connected  to  a  500 
kilowatt  Westinghouse  alternator,  furnishing  power  for  a  fiour 
mill. 

This  plant  is  now  operating  on  natural  gas  supplied  by  the 
Lone  Star  Gas  Company,  Fort  Worth,  from  its  wells 
in  Clay  county,  110  miles  northwest  of  Dallas.  As  in¬ 
stalled,  the  engine  would  develop,  on  producer-gas,  only 
600  horse-power.  On  natural  gas  it  develops  720  horse¬ 
power.  The  consumption  of  natural  gas  is  about  250,- 
000  cubic  feet  for  8,000  kilowatt  hours.  Larger  cylin¬ 
ders  have  been  ordered  and  the  engine  is  to  be  operated  again 
on  producer-gas,  as  the  Company  is  enthusiastic  over  this  form 
of  power.  No  details  of  operation  are  available  for  publication 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


87 


at  this  time,  beyond  the  statement  that  there  was  no  trouble 
from  the  producers. 

•  The  heat  units  in  the  natural  gas  supplied  to  north  Texas  es¬ 
tablishments,  under  the  best  conditions,  may  be  taken  at  980. 
The  gas  consists  almost  entirely  of  methane. 

Dittlinger.* 

Dittlinger  Lime  Company. 

At  this  plant  there  are  four  Herrick  up-draft  producers  for 
making  fuel  gas  to  be  used  in  burning  lime.  The  kilns  are  now 
being  fitted  to  use  oil,  but  the  producers  will  not  be  dismantled. 
These  producers  have  been  operated  for  about  three  years,  and 
the  change  to  oil  is  said  to  be  on  account  of  economy. 

The  fuel  used  was  coal  from  the  mines  of  the  Olmos  Coal 
Company  and  the  International  Coal  Mines  Company,  Eagle 
Pass,  Maverick  coimty,  the  consumption  being  ten  tons  a  day 
for  300  barrels  of  lime.  Parallel  operations  on  coal  and  oil 
showed  that  about  90  barrels  of  lime  were  obtained  from  the 
use  of  producer-gas  and  120  barrels  from  oil. 

The  producers  are  set  very  close  to  the  kilns,  and  there  are 
two  for  each  kiln.  This  arrangement  is  more  like  that  of  a  re¬ 
verberatory  furnace  than  a  producer  plant  such  as  was  operated 
at  McNeil  and  Round  Rock  for  burning  lime.  However  this 
may  be,  the  fact  remains  that  this  plant  is  changing  to  oil,  and 
the  other  lime  plants  have  not  had  success  in  using  producer- 
gas. 

Eagle  Ford.* 

Southwestern  States  Portland  Cement  Company.  : 

Equipment:  Six  Harvey  up-draft  pressure  producers  and 
three  750  kilowatt  Allis-Chalmers  horizontal  two-cylinder  tan¬ 
dem  double-acting  gas  engines.  These  engines  have,  on  the 
main  shaft,  Allis-Chalmers  generators  of  2,300  volts  supplying 
power  for  the  establisment. 

The  original  installation  consisted  of  two  Allis-Chalmers  en¬ 
gines,  to  which  a  third  was  recently  added. 


88 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


It  is  understood  that  the  demand  for  power  has  increased  so 
much  that  it  would  become  necessary  to  add  two  producers  or  to 
go  on  natural  gas,  with  some  corresponding  changes  in  the  en¬ 
gines. 

After  full  consideration  the  Company  has  decided  to  use  nat¬ 
ural  gas,  without,  however,  dismantling  the  producer  plant.  The 
natural  gas  is  supplied  by  the  Lone  Star  Gas  Comapny, 
which  has  pipe  lines  into  Fort  Worth,  Dallas  etc.,  from  4  Clay 
and  Wichita  counties. 

The  Avriter  worked  in  the  gas  department  of  this  Company 
several  months,  and  what  is  here  given  concerning  the  opera¬ 
tions  is  with  permission. 

Fuel.  The  fuel  used  was  lignite  from  the  mines  of  the  Con¬ 
sumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt  and  Alba,  Wood  county,  and 
Grand  Saline,  Yan  Zandt  county.  It  cost  $1.62  a  ton,  delivered. 

A  sample  of  this  lignite  taken  from  the  producer-floor  gave 


the  following  analysis: 

Per  cent. 

Moisture  .  10.80 

Volatile  matter  .  42.76 

Fixed  carbon .  40.38 

Ash .  6.06 


100.00 

Sulphur  .  0.63 

An  ultimate  analysis  of  this  sample  gave  the  following  results : 

Dry  Basis.  ’  Per  cent. 

Carbon  .  54.70 

Hydrogen  .  3.15 

Oxygen  .  29.13 

Nitrogen  .  2.14 

Ash  .  10.20 

Sulphur  .  0.68 


100.00 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U.,  Dry .  10,840 


The  lignite  represented  by  the  above  analysis  is  much  drier 
than  it  usually  is.  The  following  analysis  represents  material 
Avith  about  as  much  moisture  as  it  generally  contains. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


89 


Per  cent. 

Moisture  .  29.20 

Volatile  matter .  40.38 

Fixed  carbon . ' .  21.83 

Ash  .  8.61 


100.00 

Sulphur  .  0.63 


It  is  likely  that  this  analysis  more  truly  represents  the  lignite, 
as  charged,  than  the  one  first  given.  The  heat  units  in  the  lignite, 
as  charged,  are,  on  the  average,  7,500  B.  T.  U.  For  convenience 
of  reference  we  have  prepared  two  Tables  of  producer  operations 
involving  the  use  of  233,920  pounds  of  lignite,  and  the  produc¬ 
tion  of  66,740  kilowatt  hours  of  energy,  equivalent  to  89,411 
horse-power  hours. 

These  Tables  represent  two  distinct,  but  not  consecutive  pe¬ 
riods  of  24  hours  each,  and  these  periods  were  divided  into  11 
and  13-hour  sub-periods.  For  the  11-hour  periods  the  readings 
are  hourly,  while  for  the  13-hour  periods  only  the  totals  are  given. 


PRODUCER  OPERATION3-TEXA3  LIGNITE. 


90 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


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PRODUCER  OPERATIONS— TEXAS  IJGNITE. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


91 


Pounds  of 
fuel  per 

H.  P. 

hour. 

tot»c<ioooo<N'itioooc'i>r3 

C4C4C4N(Me<5C4rHr'e'lC4 

2.4 

2.8 

2.5 

K.W. 

hour. 

lDCDOiOOI>CO(M'^COi-lCO 

CQCQCaCQCO'^COWiHCOCQ 

3.2 

3.5 

3.3 

Hours 

Horse¬ 

power. 

OOOOOOOOir-«COb*OOCO 

iHi-irHrH?-HC^C^iHC<rC<ir-r 

1 

21,453 

25,594 

47,047 

Kilo¬ 

watt. 

1,350 

1,370 

1,400 

1,470 

1,440 

1,600 

1,790 

l.,280 

1,550 

1,550 

1,210 

1 

0X0 ‘91 

1 

1 

00I‘6I 

35,110 

Total 

fuel 

lbs. 

t^05C^^COCOi>OOt^Ci 

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8 

e 

o 

g 

117,640 

St. 

press. 

ave¬ 

rage 

lbs. 

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C^CslC^C^COtQC^(NOQ(M<N 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Gas 
press . 
in 

main. 

Inches. 

mmoioioioioooif^o 

CDlOLOUO'^iOiO^OCD^cO 

5.6 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

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1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

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1 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

.  Fuel 
lbs. 

oooopoooooo 

«o»ot^t>t-<u5inocioocot^ 

t-roioia»ot»s3:c<5cot'-»ci 

7,220 

18,490 

20,710 

lO 

St. 

press. 

lbs. 

(Mt^i-H'^OOlOCOCOCOCO 

c^c<ic^oacoco(>’04cs3c^c^ 

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1 

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lbs. 

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t-OSC<3CC01CSO»Or-lt~iO 

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8,350 

11,410 

•19.760 

-"fl 

St. 

press. 

lbs. 

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1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

I 

Fuel 

lbs. 

380 

1,140 

760 

950 

1,330 

1,440 

1,900 

570 

190 

190 

760 

9,310 

11,780 

21,090 

CO 

St. 

press. 

lbs. 

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1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Fuel 

lbs. 

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l>f^ric4io(Mcoicsi>.-ti© 
if^iab-kOOiAcoOliOi-ttH 

fH  tH  rH  r.^  fH 

11,020 

10,590 

22,610 

04 

St. 

press. 

lbs. 

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1 

1 

1 

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1 

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lbs. 

A 

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8,330 

8,290 

17,670 

St. 

press'. 

lbs. 

OprHCOrH-^iOMeo-^eo 

C4C4C4C4COCCC<)c4ff4C4c4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

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8,170 

11,020 

19,190 

s 


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92 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


The  six  Harvey  producers  were  used.  In  Table  I  the  total  lig¬ 
nite  charged  was  116,280  pounds,  i.  e.,  59,090  pounds  in  11  hours 
and  57,190  pounds  in  13  hours.  The  rate  of  charging  was  5,190 
pounds  per  hour  for  the  11-hour  period  and  4,399  pounds  an  hour 
for  the  13-hour  period.  The  rate  of  charging  over  the  entire 
period  of  24  hours  was  4,845  pounds  an  hour. 

During  the  11-hour  period,  when  observations  were  taken  hour¬ 
ly,  the  amount  of  lignite  charged  was  59,090  pouods,  the  average 
steam  pressure  (blower)  was  36  pounds,  the  average  gas  pressure 
in  the  main  was  6  inches,  the  total  number  of  kilowatt  hours  was 
16,330  (=21,882  horse-power  hours),  and  there  was  used  3.6 
pounds  of  lignite  per  kilowatt  hour  (=2.7  pounds  per  horse¬ 
power  hour).  It  will  be  observed  that  there  was  a  considerable 
variation  in  the  number  of  pounds  of  fuel  per  kilowatt  hour, 
from  1.9  to  4.1,  but  the  general  average  was  3.6  pounds,  worth 
2.91  mills.  Taking  the  cost  of  the  lignite,  delivered,  as  $1.62  a 
ton,  the  cost  of  the  fuel  per  horse  power  hour  was  2.18  mills. 
This,  of  course,  is  raw  fuel  cost,  and  does  not  include  the  cost 
of  converting  the  lignite  into  gas. 

In  Table  II  the  total  lignite  charged  was  117,640  pounds, 
i.  e.,  51,060  pounds  in  11  hours  and  66,580  pounds  in  13  hours. 
The  rate  of  charging  was  4,642  pounds  per  hour  for  the  11-hour 
period  and  5,122  pounds  an  hour  for  the  13-hour  period.  The 
rate  of  charging  for  the  entire  period  of  24  hours  was  4,902 
pounds  an  hour.  During  the  11-hour  period  the  total  amount 
of  lignite  charged  was  51,060  pounds,  the  average  steam  pres¬ 
sure  (blower)  was  27  pounds,  the  average  gas  pressure  in  the 
main  was  5.6  inches,  the  total  number  of  kilowatt  hours  was 
16,010  (=21,453  horse-power  hours),  and  there  was  used  3.2 
pounds  of  lignite  per  kilowatt  hour  (=2.4  poimds  per  horse¬ 
power  hour). 

In  this  sub-period  of  11  hours  there  was  a  somewhat  greater 
range  in  the  number  of  pounds  of  lignite  per  kilowatt  hour 

t 

than  in  Table  I,  i.  e.,  from  1.3  to  4.3,  but  the  general  average 
was  lower,  3.2  as  against  3.6. 

During  the  entire  period  covered  by  these  tables,  48  hours, 
there  were  used  233,920  pounds  (=116.96  tons)  of  lignite,  with 
a  production  of  66,740  kilowatt  hours  (=89,411  horse-power 
hours)  of  energy,  or  a  general  average  of  3.5  pounds  of  lignite 
per  kilowatt  hour  (=2.6  pounds  per  horse-power  hour).  With 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


93 


lignite  at  $1.62  a  ton,  delivered,  this  represents  a  raw  fuel  cost 
of  2.83  mills  per  kilowatt  hour  (=2.11  mills  per  horse-power 

hour). 


PRODUCER  OPERATIONS— TO  ACCOMPANY  TABLE  I— COMPOSITION  OP  GAS,  ETO. 


94 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


Heat. 
Power 
B.  T.  U. 
per  cubic 
foot. 

e0C30CC05OC0i0^’^Oi05 

^  r-j  ^  CO  <>1  W  ®  Ift  00  C5  O 
000<Mi-*C^OOrHr-tC^CO 
r^rHrHrH^rHrHrHrHrHr^ 

119.8 

Analysis  of  Gas. 

Nitro¬ 

gen. 

^C>00r-iC5^l>O-*^’'^C5 

COr^00C^Q0'^'^r-<C"J#MC^ 

61.9 

Oxygen. 

rH 

o 

Hydro¬ 

gen. 

osrjioocONeoeoOt-cseo 

•  •••••••••• 

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rH  rH 

8.1 

Ethy¬ 

lene. 

eOOOt»«DlOkOCO«Ot»lOC» 

©a 

00 

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^NdOCQOCOCOt^t^lO 

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3.5 

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mon¬ 

oxide. 

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•^<0<0l^^lO*0C0^’^C^3rH 

rHrHrHrHrHrHrHrHrHrHi-H 

14.3  1 

Carbon 

dioxide. 

’^NrHrHW'^O'^COOOCO 

OOrHrHrHrHrHrHrHf-nOO 

rHpHrHrHrHrHrHrHi-Hi-H 

10.8 

Pounds  of  lignite 

Per 

H.  P. 

hour. 

CJrHi-IOOOOSOOOO-^C^O 

eieoeo©Jeoc>icq©ii-i©i(N 

2.0 

Per 

K.  W. 

hour. 

03i-lr4t»0050000C5rHt^ 

•  •••••••••• 

CO’^^CO'^COCOfOrHCOC^ 

3.5 

Lignite 
charged 
in  preced¬ 
ing  hour. 
Pounds. 

OOQOOOOOOOQ 

'n<COiO(NOOt^OOOCir-'iS 

05i—tt^COOC^OOOr-4lCt^ 

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t-- 

rH 

lO 

Kilo¬ 
watts 
produced 
in  preced¬ 
ing  hour. 

oeoooooooQO 

rHrHrHrHrHrHrHrHr-trHrH 

S8 

rH 

Load 

when 

sampled. 

Kilo¬ 

watts. 

1,300 

1  1,150 

1,600 
1,350 
1,550 
1,500 
1,550 
1,700 
1,650 

1  1,750 

1,600 

1,518 

Gas' 
pressure 
inches  of 
water. 

lOOlftOOlClftWOOlA 

5.91 

•M 

o  * 
e|fci 

I  1  t  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1 

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:  •  : 

E  6  S  E  S  E  s'  E  B 

O  f-H  (M 

OOOSfHrirHr-ieqCO'^lft^O 

Average  - 

TABLE  IV. 

PRODUCER  OPERATIONS— TO  ACCOMPANY  TABLE  II— COMPOSITION  OF  GAS,  ETC. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


Heat. 

Power 

B.  T.  U. 

per  cubic 
foot. 

OI^SOQOCDOCOOOOC^I 

rHr-l<NC<JC<JCOC<JCOCOCOCO 
iHi— IrH 

i  127.1 

1 

Analysis  of  Gas. 

Nitro¬ 

gen. 

(N'!j<t~00'^r-H>0<lC0d5O 

0<5CO(NOOr-l'<l<05l005l^5 

62.4 

Oxygen. 

1  1 

1  1 

i^OOiOOiOO  i 

•  •••{•♦•••I 

iH  1  1 

1  1 

I  1 

1  1 

1  1 

1  1 

o 

LO 

Hydro¬ 

gen. 

C^M^t^OO-^-^r-tCOCOi^OO 

OOOOC^rHiHOiCOCOCOOC^ 
iH  iH  iH  iH 

/ 

8.7 

Ethy¬ 

lene. 

Methane. 

•'itoci'^-^coosTHCOifteooo 

•  •••••••••• 

4.8 

Carbon 

mon¬ 

oxide. 

©oocot^-^t^cONeot^O 
•  •••••••••« 

COCOTt<^pHC<lrH00O5i— ir* 

fHfHiHrHrHrHrH  iHrH 

12.6 

Carbon 

dioxide. 

i><050(Moqcoc7(NMOo 

O05OQ0r-IOOOOi-IO 
r- »  iH  T— IrHiHrHTHl— IrH 

10.3 

Pounds  of  lignite 

Per 

H.  P. 

hour. 

COI>-C^OOOO(M'^000<MIO 

C^C«3<N<N(MCC5^iHtH(NC^ 

2.4 

Per 

K.  W. 

hour. 

mCDOOOt>COC'5'^COr-(CO 
CQ  CO  M  CO  CO  CO  CQ  tH  oi  CO 

8.2 

Lignite 
charged 
in  preced¬ 
ing  hour. 
Pounds . 

OOOQOOQOOQO 
l>03  05COCOOO<>OOt-C5 

% 

(M 

CO 

s 

I— 1 

Kilo¬ 
watts 
produced 
in  preced¬ 
ing  hour. 

QOOOOOOOQQO 

Cot^Ot^-^OroOOioiSr-f 

iHMiHrHiHrHrHTHrHiHrH 

Load 

when 

sampled. 

Kilo¬ 

watts. 

SoSSSSSSSSo 

coTtieciioifii?ot'.(MLOcoco 

rHr— li— IrHiHiHrHiHrHrHiH 

rH 

1 

1 

Gas 

pressure 
inches  of 
water. 

lAlOOlCMAur^mOOlAO 

CO 

lO 

Time  of 
samp¬ 
ling. 

I  1  1  t  1  1  1  1  1  1  1 

1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1 

II  1  1  1  1  1  1  1 

as'S^  ;ssaaga 

••osc^S . 

e3«3  GaoiGaa 

„  o  i-(  c<j 

OOC5rHt-(r-li-H(MM'1<lOO 

Average  - 

96 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


From  Table  I  it  will  be  seen  that  the  consumption  of  lignite 
was  116,280  pounds,  and  from  Table  III  that  the  average  heat 
units  in  the  gas  during  this  period  were  119.8.  .The  heat  units 
in  the  gas  were  determined  by  calculation  from  the  analysis, 
and  were  not  determined  in  a  calorimeter.  The  factors  used  in 
this  calculation  were  as  follows; 


Carbon  monoxide  .  324. 

Methane  .  1010. 

Ethylene  .  1580. 

Hydrogen  .  324. 


These  factors  differ  somewhat  from  those  commonly  accepted 
for  these  substances,  but  were  used  at  this  establishment. 

The  variations  in  composition  were  as  follows : 


From. 

To. 

Average. 

Carbon  dioxide  . 

.  8.4 

11.4 

10.8 

Carbon  monoxide  . 

.  11.7 

16.8 

14.3 

Methane  . ■. . 

.  0.4 

6.5 

3.5 

Ethylene  . 

.  0.5 

2.3 

0.8 

Hydrogen  . 

.  0.3 

10.4 

8.1 

Oxygen  . 

.  0.2 

1.8 

0.6 

Nitrogen . 

.  57.6 

64.7 

61.9 

Heat  units  . 

. 103.3 

139.9 

119.9 

During  the  period  represented  by  Table  II  the  consumption  of 
lignite  was  117,640  pounds,  and  the  average  heat  units  in  the  gas 
were  127.1.  The  variations  in  composition  were  as  follows : 


From. 

To. 

Average. 

Carbon  dioxide  . 

.  8.2 

11.8 

10.3 

Carbon  monoxide  . 

.  8.2 

17.6 

12.6 

Methane  . . 

.  2.8 

7.6 

4.8 

Ethylene  . 

.  0.1 

0.8 

0.4 

Hydrogen  . 

.  3.6 

12.8 

8.7 

Oxygen  . 

.  0.0  • 

1.0 

0.5 

Nitrogen  . 

.  55.6 

69.2 

62.4 

Heat  units  . 

. 116.0 

138.0 

127.1 

There  is  not  a  well  marked  difference  between  these  gases  and 
the  fact  that  the  average  heat  units  are  so  close  together  would  in¬ 
dicate  that  the  gas,  throughout  the  two  periods,  was  of  fairly  uni¬ 
form  quality. 

The  amount  of  lignite  charged  per  hour  varied,  for  the  entire 


Texas  Coals  and  Ligjiites 


97 


six  producers,  from  2,090  pounds  to  6,840  pounds,  the  amount  so 
charged  depending  on  the  power  requirements. 

There  is  no  practical  difference  in  the  heat  units  during  the 
morning,  from  8  to  12,  and  the  afternoon,  from  1  to  6  (120.6  and 
125.7).  The  lowest  heat  units  observed,  103.3,  were  at  1  p.  m., 
when  during  the  preceding  hour,  i.  e.,  from  12  to  1,  there  had 
been  charged  6,270  pounds  of  lignite.  The  highest  heat  units  ob¬ 
served,  139.9,  were  at  6  p.  m.,  when  during  the  preceding  hour, 
i.  e.,  from  5  to  6,  there  had  been  charged  4,750  pounds  of  lignite. 

There  was  one  time,  4  p.  m.,  when  the  heat  units  were  131.0,- 
with  a  charge  of  2,090  pounds  of  lignite  during  the  preceding 
hour. 

The  producers,  being  of  the  pressure  type,  require  to  be 
blown  with  live  steam  at  a  pressure  proportionate  to  the 
load.  In  this  plant  the  steam  is  furnished  by  two 

horizontal  fire  tube  boilers,  crude  oil  fired,  which  also  furnish 
steam  at  about  140  pounds  for  two  air  compressors ;  two  oil 
pumps  for  furnishing  crude  oil  at  about  90  pounds  pressure  to 
the  kilns ;  a  city  water  pump ;  a  battery  of  underwriters  fire 
pumps ;  an  exciter  for  use  in  starting  and  when  it  becomes  nec¬ 
essary  to  shut  off  the  producers;  and  the  necessary  boiler  feed 
pumps.  It  would  be  impossible,  from  the  data  at  hand,  to  ap¬ 
portion  the  fuel  costs  to  the  various  departments  using  steam, 
although  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  six  producers  use 
more  steam  than  the  remainder  of  the  equipment  combined.  The 
pressure  on  the  producers  has  been  observed  to  vary  from  a 
minimum  of  19  pounds  to  a  maximum  of  46  pounds,  a  general 
average  probably  being  close  to  36  pounds.  It  is  stated  that  as 
much  as  55  pounds  has  been  carried,  although  at  danger  of  blow¬ 
ing  the  various  water  seals  in  the  line.  About  60  barrels  of  ' 
crude  oil  are  used  under  the  boilers  in  twenty-four  hours,  and 
it  is  to  avoid  a  large  part  of  this  expense  that  the  change  to 
natural  gas  is  being  made. 

The  amount  of  tar  made  is  considerable,  and  the  quality 
seems  good.  No  definite  figures  are  obtainable  as  to  the  quan¬ 
tity  of  this  tar,  but  it  is  understood  that  at  various  times  meas¬ 
urements  have  been  made.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  utilize 
this  product  under  the  boilers,  but  without  any  noticeable  suc¬ 
cess,  and  at  present  it  is  hauled  away  with  the  ash,  at  times 

being  used  to  surface  roads.  The  arrangement  of  storage  tanks 

7 — T.  C. 


98 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


is  such  that  it  could  readily  be  stored  and  barreled  at  a  small 
cost.  The  waste  water  from  coolers  and  scrubbers  is  allowed  to 
flow  away  in  open  ditches,  after  first  passing  a  trap  designed 
catch  such  tar  as  is  suspended  in  it.  At  times  the  supply  of 
water  for  these  purposes  is  rather  scant}",  a  further  factor  in 
the  change  to  natural  gas. 

.The  producers  are  arranged  in  three  sets  of  two  each,  and 
there  are  but  three  coolers,  three  washers  and  two  drv  scrub- 
bers,  in  which  excelsior  is  used,  being  changed  every  two 
months.  Fires  are  cleaned  regularly  every  other  day  on  normal 
operation,  although  cases  have  been  observed  when  all  six 
were  cleaned  the  same  dav.  The  svstem  observed  is  to  clean 

A.  «/ 

one  producer  of  each  set  every  day.  This,  however,  means  that 
the  set — that  is,  the  two  producers — are  not  operating  at  all 
satisfactorily  while  cleaning  is  going  on.  In  general  it  has 
been  shown  to  be  best  to  lighten  the  load  about  four  hours  in 
the  morning,  and  even  then,  back-firing,  due  to  high  hydrogen 
in  the  gas,  is  more  frequent  than  at  other  times.  The 
shifts  change  at  6  a.  m.  and  the  two  ash  men  immediately 
start  cleaning.  The  rule,  when  operating  at  full  load,  is  one 
man  to  a  producer,  and  while  cleaning  it  is  customary  for  four 
men  to  work  on  top  of  the  producer  that  is  being  cleaned,  leav¬ 
ing  to  the  other  two  the  firing  of  the  remaining  producers.  It 
is  in  the  necessity  of  poking  these  producers  through  the  top 
that  the  great  loss  of  gas  occurs,  and  it  is  not  to  be  questioned 
that  this  loss  is  appreciable.  On  a  still  day  it  is  almost  impos¬ 
sible  to  remain  long  immediately  over  the  producer,  and  the 
men  are  allowed  breathing  spells  at  the  edge  of  the  charging 
floor.  .The  fuel  is  handled  from  the  cars  to  overhead  storage 
bins  of  about  300  tons  capacity  by  a  clam  shell  coal  crane,  and 
from  the  bins  by  four  spouts  to  the  charging  floor  between  the 
two  sets  of  producers.  From  the  floor  it  is  shoveled  into  the 
hoppers,  as  before  stated,  by  one  man  to  a  producer  per  shift. 
These  men  are  Italians  and  negroes.  They  receive  20  cents  an 
hour.  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  though  not  clearly  shovui 
in  the  Tables  given,  the  charging  is  heavier  and  more  variable  in 
the  morning,  while  cleaning,  and  that  beginning  about  noon, 
it  becomes  more  regular  and  not  so  frequent.  The  fuel  con¬ 
sumption  has  been  observed  to  be  less  in  a  13-hour  run  than  in 
an  11-hour  run,  though  the  power  output  is  greater.  This,  of 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


99 


course,  is  due  to  the  ‘‘settling”  of  the  producers  and  the  greater 
steadiness  of  operation.  Similarly  the  gas  is  more  apt  to  vary 
within  wide  ranges  in  the  morning,  to  average  low,  and  to  carry 
more  hydrogen,  while  in  the  afternoon  and  night  it  is  of  more 
uniform  quality,  higher  in  heating  power  and  lower  in  hydro¬ 
gen.  Consequently,  the  fuel  consumption  per  kilowatt  hour 
during  the  night  was  generally  lower  than  during  the  day,  al¬ 
though  this  was  not  invariably  the  rule. 

Gainesville.* 

Gainesville  Electric  Company. 

Equipment:  One  150  horse-power  Smith  suction  down-draft 
producer.  One  Nash  three-cylinder  vertical  gas  engine  rated  at 
150  horse-power,  but  developing  135  horse-power.  The  engine 
is  direct  connected  to  a  General  Electric  direct  current  gen¬ 
erator  at  250  volts,  400  amperes,  250  r.  p.  m. 

.This  unit  operates  24  hours  a  day  for  about  two  weeks  and 
is  then  out  half  a  day,  Sunday.  It  is  not  of  sufficient  capacity 
to  handle  the  night  load,  and  is.  helped,  for  about  four  hours, 
by  the  steam  plant. 

The  engines  operated  by  steam  are:  One  Atlas  cycloidal 
four-valve  tandem  compound ;  one  Ball  slide-valve  and  one  Har¬ 
risburg  four-valve.  These  engines  are  belted  to  five  General 
Electric  generators.  The  Ball  engine  is  most  frequently  used 
and  is  belted  to  two  D.  C.  generators,  each  of  360  amperes  ca¬ 
pacity,  at  125  volts. 

Fires  are  kept  banked  under  two  boilers  all  the  time,  Arkan¬ 
sas  slack  coal  being  used,  with  a  supply  of  oil  for  sudden  de¬ 
mands.  The  consumption  of  coal,  under  the  boilers,  averages 
over  30  pounds  per  kilowatt  hour,  which  seems  abnormally 
high. 

The  original  plant  here,  as  at  many  of  the  places  visited,  was 
steam.  Increasing  demands  caused  the  installation  of  the  pro¬ 
ducer-plant  to  use  lignite  two  years  ago.  .The  producer-plant 
was  at  first  used  merely  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  steam  plant,  but 
it  soon  showed  such  economy  in  fuel  that  the  steam  plant  is  now 
the  auxiliary. 

The  lignite  used  is  from  the  mines  of  the  Consumers  ’  Lignite 
Company,  at  Hoyt,  Wood  county,  and  costs  $1.95  at  the  plant. 


100  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

On  normal  operations  less  than  five  pounds  of  lignite  are  used 
per  kilowatt  hour. 

The  operating  force  consists  of  three  men  per. 24  hours,  two 
of  these  being  on  duty  from  noon  until  midnight  and  one  from 
midnight  until  noon.  These  men  were  all  employed  in  the  old 
steam  plant  and  had  had  no  previous  experience  with  pro¬ 
ducers. 

The  producer  is  charged  every  three  hours,  and  the  fire  is 
rodded  down  at  a  like  interval.  The  grate  is  equipped  with 
the  air-shaker  now  supplied  with  this  producer,  and  is  given 
two  or  three  “licks”  every  hour.  An  individual  motor  drives 
the  elevator  for  the  ashes,  and  these  are  drawn  at  irregular  in¬ 
tervals.  Some  large  masses  of  clinker  were  noticed  and  the 
combustible  matter  left  in  the  ashes  was  greater  in  amount  than 
was  observed  at  some  other  plants.  The  temperature  of  the 
blast  was  140  degrees  Fahrenheit,  and  the  hot  water  was  ob¬ 
tained  both  from  an  exhaust  heater  and  the  economizer.  An 
increase  of  temperature  of  the  blast  to  160  degrees  Fahrenheit 
can  be  readily  attained.  The  scrubber  is  run  by  an  individual 
motor.  No  attempt  is  made  to  save  the  tar  or  ammoniacal 
liquor. 

A  small  gasoline  engine  drives  the  blower  and  compressor, 
and  the  compressor  may  also  be  driven  from  the  engine  shaft. 

The  lignite  is  screened  before  going  to  the  producer,  with  a 
considerable  loss  in  fine  stuff. 

Garwood.* 

Mr.  G.  M.  Jackson  operates  a  pumping  plant  for  irrigation 
purposes  at  this  place.  .The  equipment  consists  of  one  Fair- 
banks-Morse  200  horse-power  suction  producer  and  a  Fairbanks- 
Morse  four-cylinder  vertical  200  horse-power  gas  engine  at  250 
r.  p.  m.  This  engine  drives  an  18-inch  American  centrifugal 
pump  through  a  12-rope  connection.  The  pump  carries  a  guar¬ 
antee  of  9,600  gallons  a  minute  on  a  42-foot  lift.  The  auxiliary 
equipment  for  starting  the  producer,  engine  and  pump  is  also 
of  Fairbanks-Morse  installation. 

The  initial  plant  here  consisted  of  a  175  horse-power  Corliss 
engine,  operating  from  wood-fired  boilei’s.  Later,  however,  the 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


101 


v/ood  was  replaced  by  oil,  and  later  still  the  steam  ecpiipment 
was  changed  to  producer-gas.  The  fuel  cost  wdth  oil-fired  boil¬ 
ers  was  $60.00  a  day,  while  with  producer-gas  it  rarely  exceeds 
$12.00  a  day,  and  the  service  is  better.  ,The  cost  of  the  steam 
installation,  which  was  second-hand,  was  $9,500,  while  the  pro¬ 
ducer  plant  represents  an  investment  of  $22,000. 

Operation  is  continuous  four  months  in  the  year,  and  at  a 
net  saving  of  daily  expenses  of  $30.00,  the  total  saving*  during 
the  season  would  be  about  $3,600.00.  The  lignite  used  is  from 
the  Burnet  Fuel  Company,  Milano,'  Milam  county,  and  costs 
$2.06  a  ton  at  the  works.  The  consumption  of  fuel  is  five  tons 
in  twenty-four  hours.  The  producer  is  charged  every  two 
hours,  the  ash  being  shaken  down  just  before  charging.  As 
usual  with  this  type  of  producer,  the  air  for  gasification  re¬ 
ceives  its  moisture  from  water  in  the  ash-pit.  This  practice  is 
apt  to  cause  trouble  from  clinkering,  but  no  serious  annoy¬ 
ances  of  this  kind  have  been  observed  here.  .The  ash  appeared 
to  contain  more  combustible  matter  than  should  be  allowed,  but 
this  might  be  prevented  by  admitting  more  steam  with  the  air. 

Cooling,  scrubbing  and  jacket  water  is  obtained  from  a  well 
by  a  belt-driven  pump,  the  waste  W'ater  and  tar  being  pumped 
into  the  river. 

The  tar  is  in  a  very  finely  divided  condition,  and  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  forcing  it  through  the  waste-pipe.  While  no  at¬ 
tempt  has,  been  made  to  save  this  tar,  it  is  understood  that  of¬ 
fers  for  it  are  under  consideration.  No  detailed  information 
as  to  the  actual  consumption  of  fuel  per  brake  horse-power  w^as 
obtainable,  but  from  the  above  figures  an  over-all  result  would 
be  about  four  pounds  of  lignite  per  brake  horse-power  on  the 
basis  of  water  delivered. 

Gatesville.'*' 

Gcbtesville  Poiver  &  Light  Company. 

Equipment:  One  Smith  suction  dowm-draft  producer,  rated 
at  75  horse-power;  one  Muenzel  single  cylinder  single-acting 
horizontal  gas  engine,  rated  at  80  horse-power.  The  engine  is 
belted  to  a  General  Electric  alternator  of  75  kilowatts  at  2,300 
volts,  three-phase,  sixty  cycle.  This  voltage  is  transformed  to 
100  for  lights  and  fans  and  to  220  for  motors. 

.The  fuel  is  lignite  from  the  mines  of  the  Bear  Grass  Coal 


102  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

Company,  Jewett,  Leon  county,  and  costs  $2.27  a  ton  at  the 
plant. 

The  engine  runs  from  4  a.  m.  until  midnight  on  about  2,000 
pounds  of  fuel,  with  an  average  load,  for  the  entire  period,  of 
25  kilowatts,  although  this  rises  to  60  kilowatts  for  a  few  hours 
when  a  roller-mill  uses  the  current.  The  night  load  is  rarely 
more  than  30  kilowatts,  but  the  engine  has  successfully  car¬ 
ried  for  some  time  a  30  per  cent,  excess  over  this  figure.  The 
original  plant  here  was  steam-power,  and  was  operated  several 
years.  The  engine  was  of  110  horse-power,  but  was  never  run 
on  full  load.  The  producer-gas  plant  was  put  in  about  twenty 
months  ago,  and  has  already  shown  a  marked  saving  over  the 
steam  plant.  The  consumption  of  lignite  under  the  boilers  was 
more  than  twice  the  present  consumption.  The  President  of 
the  operating  company  stated  that  the  difference  in  the  cost  of 
the  twn  plants  would  be  written  off  in  a  little  less  than  six 
years,  under  present  conditions.  Sliding  rates  for  power  and 
light  are  in  effect,  the  prices  ranging  from  5  cents  to  15  cents 
per  kilowatt  hour.  Three  men  do  all  the  work  at  the  plant  and 
on  the  lines. 

The  producer  is  charged  every  six  hours  and  ashes  are  drawn 
by  hand  once  in  24  hours.  At  the  time  of  the  visit,  June  1st, 
a  large  pile  of  clinker  was  noticeable,  some  of  the  pieces  being 
of  considerable  size.  The  ash  also  contained  some  combustible 
matter.  No  attempt  is  made  to  save  the  tar  or  ammoniacal 
liquor.  As  is  the  case  generally  with  this  type  of  producer — 
the  Smith — the  tar  is  not  only  small  in  amount,  but  is  very 
finely  comminuted  and  of  a  yellow  color. 

There  is  a  water  heater  in  the  exhaust  line,  but  only  a  part 
of  the  jacket  water  is  passed  through  it,  as  the  passage  of  the 
entire  quantity  would  so  far  reduce  the  temperature  as  to  ren¬ 
der  it  almost  useless  in  the  saturator.  With  the  engine  on 
half  load  the  temperature  of  the  water  was  113  degrees  Fahren¬ 
heit,  the  top  of  the  producer  being  half  open  and  the  ash-pit 
overflowing  a  little. 

The  scrubber  is  driven  from  the  main  shaft  through  a  belt. 
The  coal  elevator,  blower  and  compressor  are  driven  by  a  gaso¬ 
line  engine. 

On  starting  up  about  twenty  minutes  are  required  to  get  gas 
to  the  engine. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


103 


Glen  Flora. 

6r.  C.  Giffo7^d  Plantation. 

One  Fairbanks-Morse  suction  up-draft  producer  of  200 
horse-power  and  standard  fittings. 

One  Fairbanks-Morse  vertical  four-cylinder  gas  engine  of 
200  horse-power  with  rope  drive  to  pump  for  irrigation  pur¬ 
poses.  The  fuel  is  lignite  from  Calvert  and  Milano,  and  costs 
$2.00  a  ton  at  the  plant.  The  consumption  is  given  at  2.87 
pounds  per  horse-power  hour,  or  about  seven  tons  per  24  hours 
on  full  load.  The  plant  operates  continuously  during  the  rice 
irrigation  season,  but  is  idle  the  rest  of  the  year. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  utilize  tar  or  ammoniacal  liquor,  and 
entire  satisfaction  is  expressed  with  the  plant,  particularly  on 
account  of  low  operating  expense.  It  is  further  stated,  how¬ 
ever,  that  when  such  a  plant  is  operated  .only  three  or  four 
months,  the  interest  on  the  investment  offsets  the  low  operating 
expense. 

Harry.* 

The  Texas  Portland  Cement  Company, 

This  is  the  largest  lignite  gas  plant  in  the  State,  but  no  de¬ 
tails  of  operation  can  be  published  at  this  time. 

The  original  equipment  consisted  of  Loomis-Pettibone  pro¬ 
ducers  and  Snow  engines.  This  is  now  being  replaced  by  pro¬ 
ducers  and  engines  made  by  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Company, 
South  Bethlehem,  Penn.  It  is  hoped  that  some  details  of  opera¬ 
tion  can  be  given  later. 

The  company  is  well  pleased  with  producer-gas-  made  from 
lignite,  and  is  of  the  opinion  that  this  is  not  only  the  cheapest 
fuel  in  Texas,  but  that  producer-gas  is  fully  as  reliable  as 
steam.  The  former  plant  was  operated  on  lignite  from  the 
mines  of  the  Consumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt  and  Alba, 
Wood  county.  It  showed  a  consumption  of  three  and  one-half 
pounds  of  lignite  per  kilowatt  hour  and  the  new  plant  is  ex¬ 
pected  to  lower  this. 

Houston.* 

The  Houston  Cotton-meal  Mill,  Sixth  Ave.  and  Rutland  St. 

Equipment:  Two  No.  7  P.  D.  Wood  &  Co.’s  suction  up- 


1U4 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


draft  producers.  One  liathbun-Jones  four-cylinder  vertical 
ga,s  engine  of  500  horse-power  belted  direct  to  lay  shaft  and 
to  main  line  shaft  with  metal-to-metal  friction  clutches. 

This  plant  has  been  in  operation  for  two  j'ears,  but  runs  only 
3,720  hours  each  year.  The  engine  runs  under  load  eleven  and 
a  half  hours  a  day,  with  a  light  load  for  half  an  hour  at  noon, 
but  is  idle  at  night  except  under  unusual  conditions. 

The  normal  day  load  varies  from  450  to  500  horse-power, 
with  an  overload  capacity,  for  a  short  time,  of  550  horse-power. 
The  service  here  is  such  as  to  make  a  momentary  “peak”  of 
frequent  occurrence,  as  when  a  fresh  charge  of  cotton-seed  cake 
is  fed  to  the  grinders. 

A  fuel  consumption  of  10,000  pounds  of  lignite  per  24  hours 
is  reported,  but  the  charging  is  confined  to  the  12  hours  of  ac¬ 
tual  service.  The.  producers  are  charged  at  staggered  intervals 
of  25  minutes,  this  practice  giving  a  more  uniform  gas,  as  there 
is  no  reeciver  or  regulating  tank  on  the  line.  The  ashes  are 
drawn  almost  continuously,  this  giving  a  slower  and  more  even 
settling  of  the  fire,  and  also  preventing,  to  a  considerable  ex¬ 
tent,  pitting  and  channeling. 

To  this  method  the  Company  attributes  the  unusually  clean 
ash  which  comes  from  the  producers. 

The  producers  are  of  the  water- jacketed  type,  the-  tempera¬ 
ture  of  the  blast,  under  normal  conditions,  being  kept  at  140 
degrees  Fahrenheit,  but  this  may  readily  be  increased  to  170 
degrees. 

A  noticeable  feature  of  this  installation  is  the  use  of  Kort- 
ing’s  Positive  Steam  Blowers  for  starting  the  producer,  in¬ 
stead  of  the  engine-driven  air-blower  generally  employed. 
These  positive  blowers  are  available  only  v/hen  live  steam  is 
obtainable.  In  this  case  it  is  piped  from  boilers  in  another 
part  of  the  mill.  In  addition  to  the  use  of  these  blowers  in 
starting  the  producer  they  are  always  in  readiness  for  any  other 
emergency.  '  '  • 

During  the  first  year  of  operation  the  tar  was  returned  to 
the  combustion  zone  of  the  producer,  but  this  practice  has  been 
discontinued  and  the  tar  is  now  sent  to  special  filter  beds.  The 
tar  is  not  utilized,  but  it  is  understood  that  steps  are  being 
taken  in  this  direction.  The  filter  beds  to  which  the  tar  is  now 
sent  were  made  necessary  by  the  presence,  in  the  cooler  and 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


105 


scrubber-water,  of  sufficient  ammoniacal  compounds  to  render 
its  discharge  into  the  bayou  objectionable.  The  entire  waste 
water,  including  the  tarry  matter,  is  first  forced  upward 
through  broken  coke  which  removes  the  tar,  the  remaining 
’water  being  sprayed  over  six  filter  beds  Before  the  installa¬ 
tion  of  the  coke-columns  and  the  filter  beds  it  is  stated  that  the 
waste  water  contained  9.6  grains  of  free  and  albuminoid  am¬ 
monia  per  gallon,  whereas  now  it  contains  not  more  than  0.02 
grains  per  gallon.  The  yield  of  tar  is  stated  to  be  about  500 
pounds  a  day.  The  lignite  used  now  is  from  the  mines  of  the 
Houston  County  Coal  &  Manufacturing  Company,  Crockett, 
Houston  county.  It  is  screened  through  a  three-fourths-inch 
screen  and  over  a  three-eighths-inch  screen. 

Analyses,  by  P.  S.  Tilson,  Houston,  of  the  Crockett  lignite, 
as  received,  are  as  follows : 


1 

2 

3 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Moisture  . 

31.45 

12.88 

28.16 

Volatile  and  Combust.  Matter. 

30.80 

47.57 

43.60 

Fixed  Carbon  . 

25.60 

29.40 

21.02 

Ash  . 

12.75 

10.15 

6.64 

Sulphur  . 

trace 

trace 

0.58 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U . 

6,410 

7,326 

Xo.  1  is  lignite  screenings,  through  3-4-inch  and  over  3-8-inch 
screen,  charged  into  the  producers.  No.  2  is  lignite  used  under 
boilers  in  another  part  of  the  plant.  This  shows  an  evaporation 
of  3.25  pounds  of  water,  from  and  at  212  degrees  Fahrenheit, 
per  pound  of  fuel,  which  is  equivalent  to  10.6  pounds  per  boiler 
horse-power. 

Analyses  of  other  lignites  received  at  this  plant  have  been 
made  by  Mr.  , Tilson  as  follows : 


4 

Per  ct . 

Moisture  . .  .  .  ., . 23.11* 

Volatile  &  Combust.  Matter. 39. 84 

Fixed  Carbon  . 29.39 

Ash  .  6.78 

Sulphur  .  0.88 


5 

6 

7 

Per  ct . 

Per  ct . 

Per  ct. 

27.20 

19.42 

33.83 

41.28 

43.12 

38.83 

25.99 

29.46 

21.90 

4.89 

7.08 

4.84 

0.64 

0.92 

0.60 

8,114 

7,695 

6,158 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U . 8,336 


106  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

No.  4  is  lignite  from  the  Bear  Grass  Coal  Company,  Jewett, 
Leon  county. 

No.  5  is  lignite  from  the  Bastrop  Coal  Company,  Bastrop 

countv. 

%/ 

No.  6  is  lignite  from  the  Southwestern  Fuel  &  Manufacturing 
Company,  Calvert,  Robertson  county. 

No.  7  is  lignite  from  the  Consumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt 
and  Alba,  Wood  county. 

In  these  analyses  the  heating  power  was  determined  by  lead- 
button  assay. 

The  specifications  call  for  a  gas  of  140  B.  T  U.  per  cubic  foot, 
and  the  engine  is  to  deliver  a  brake  horse-power  for  each  10,000 
effective  heat  units. 

No  analyses  of  the  gas  were  obtainable,  although  it  is  under¬ 
stood  that  some  were  made  when  the  plant  was  installed  and 
tested. 

The  consumption  of  lignite  is  stated  to  he  1.75  pounds  per 
brake  horse-power. 

Huntsville. 

Huntsville  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company. 

Equipment:  One  Fairbanks-Morse  producer  of  100  horse¬ 
power;  one  Fairbanks-Morse  gas  engine  of  -  100  horse-power, 
belted  to  generator.  .The  service  is  24  hours,  driving  generator 
and  ice  machine  of  12  tons  capacity. 

The  fuel  is  lignite  screenings  from  the  mines  of  the  Houston 
County  Coal  &  Manufacturing  Company  at  Wooter’s  Spur, 
Houston  county,  and  the  consumption  is  9,645  pounds  per  24. 
hours.  The  cost  of  the  fuel  at  the  plant  is  90  cents  a  ton. 

.The  tar  is  mixed  with  lignite  screenings  and  is  burned  under 
the  boilers.  No  use  is  made  of  the  ammoniacal  liquor.  Leaky 
valves  and  stopping-up  of  pipes,  due  to  poor  tar  extraction,  has 
given  some  trouble  at  this  plant. 

The  original  installation  here  was  steam,  but  there  is  a  consid¬ 
erable  saving  in  fuel  and  labor  since  the  introduction  of  the  pro¬ 
ducer  plant. 

This  establishment  was  not  visited  personally,  the  above  data 
having  been  supplied  by  the  Company. 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


107 


Kingsville.* 

The  Kingsville  Power  Company. 

Equipment:  One  100  horse-power  Smith  suction  producer 
and  one  100  horse-power  Rathbun- Jones  three-cylinder  vertical 
gas  engine.  The  producer  is  said  to  be  of  insufficient  capacity 
to  operate  the  engine  at  full  load.  The  engine  is  belted  to  a 
Western  Electric  Company’s  alternator  for  supplying  lighting 
current  at  night,  being  idle  during  the  day. 

No  records  were  obtainable  concerning  fuel  consumption  or 
power  delivered,  but  from  1,800  to  2,000  pounds  of  lignite  are 
used  every  night,  the  fuel  coming  from  the  mines  of  the  Con¬ 
sumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt,  Wood  County.  The  exhaust 
from  the  engine  is  lead  through  a  water-heater  for  supplying 
water-vapor  to  the  saturator.  The  temperature  of  the  blast 
varies  from  140  degrees  to  170  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

The  ash-pit  of  this  producer  is  generally  kept  full  of  water  to 
within  a  few  inches  of  the  grate  to  “settle  the  ashes.”  No  coal 
is  charged  during  the  day,  but  the  producer  is  filled  when  the 
engine  is  shut  down  in  the  morning  and  the  ashes  thoroughly 
drawn  and  new  coal  charged  when  the  blower  is  started  in  the 
evening. 

From  the  time  of  starting  the  blower  twenty  minutes  are  gen¬ 
erally  sufficient  for  securing  good  gas  at  the  engine. 

In  order  to  obtain  additional  power  for  use  in  a  new  cotton¬ 
seed  oil  mill  there  has  recently  been  installed  a  350  horse-power 
De  La  Vergne  twin  oil  engine  for  using  crude  oil.  The  guaran¬ 
tee  of  this  engine  is  a  brake  horse-power  from  0.6  pound  of  oil. 
This  engine  has  not  been  operated  on  full  load,  but  tests  have 
shown  an  efficiency  a  little  higher  than  the  guarantee. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  recover  the  tar  or  ammoniacal  liquor, 
nor  is  the  tar  burned  under  boilers  in  the  ice  plant  belonging  to 
the  same  Company. 

Leonard.* 

Leonard  Ice  &  Light  Company. 

This  plant  has  not  been  in  operation  for  a  year  or  more.  The 
equipment  consistsed  of  a  65  horse-power  Fairbanks-Morse  suc¬ 
tion  up-draft  producer  and  a  Fairbanks-Morse  single  cylinder 


108 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


horizontal  gas  engine  rated  at  50  horse-power.  The  plant  was  in 
operation,  but  not  continuously,  for  about  two  years. 

The  fuel  used  was  screened-lump  lignite  from  the  mines  of  the 
Consumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt  and  Alba.  Wood  County, 
and  cost  $1.34  a  ton,  delivered. 

The  Company  changed  hands  and  the  producer  power  plant 
was  turned  over  to  the  manufacturer.  Since  that  time  it  has 
been  dismantled  and  removed.  The  plant  is  now  operated  by 
steam,  lignite  being  used  under  the  boilers. 

Longview. 

A  Westinghouse  producer  and  engine  plant  was  installed 
here,  to  operate  on  lignite,  but  for  some  reason  or  other  it  was 
removed  and  no  records  concerning  it  are  available. 

McNeil.* 

Austin  White  Lime  Com.pany. 

At  this  place  there  are  two  No.  10%  R.  D.  Wood  &  Com¬ 
pany’s  producers,  used  for  making  fuel  gas  for  burning  lime. 
They  have  been  working  on  washed  nut  coal  from  the  Olmos 
Coal  Company,  Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  county.  Samples  of  this 
coal  taken  in  person  gave  the  following  anaHsis : 

OLMOS  WASHED  NUT  COAL. 

Per  cent. 


Moisture  .  4.20 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter . 36.55 

Fixed  Carbon .  32.35 

Ash  .  26.90 

Sulphur  . : .  0.71 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U .  9,772 


Under  the  boilers  this  plant  was  using  lignite  (hand-fired)  from 
the  mines  of  the  Rockdale  Consolidated  Coal  Company,  Rockdale, 
Milam  County.  It  was  sampled  in  person  and  had  the  following 
composition : 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites  109 

LIGNITE  FROM  ROCKDALE  CONSOLIDATED  COAL  COMPANY. 

Per  cent. 

Moisture .  12.62 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter .  38.11 

Fixed  Carbon . .  •  36.21 

Ash  .  13.06 

Sulphur .  0.48 

Heating  Power,  B.  T.  U . 9,525 


The  gas  is  passed  directly  into  the  kilns,  through  ordinary 
gas-ports,  where  it  is  mixed  with  air  for  combustion.  No  at¬ 
tempt  is  made  to  separate  tar  or  ammoniacal  compounds. 

For  many  years  this  establishment  used  wood  for  burning  the 
white  lime  for  which  it  has  long  been  famous.  On  entering  upon 
the  manufacture  of  hydrated  lime,  the  producers  w^ere  installed 
and  have  been  in  fairly  continuous  operation  for  a  year  or 
more. 

As  is  also  the  case  with  the  Pound  Pock  White  Lime  Company, 
a  few  miles  away,  there  has  not  been  much  success  at  McNeil  in 
using  producer-gas  for  burning  lime.  The  chief  difficulty  has 
been  in  controlling  the  quality  of  the  gas. 

Mart. 

Home  Light  &  Power  Company. 

Operator,  Bayliss  Earle,  Waco. 

This  plant  is  not  in  operation,  and  was  not  visited,  but  Mr. 
Earle  gave  the  following  details': 

The  >equipment  consists  of  one  100  horse-power  Fairbanks- 
Morse  suction  up-draft  producer  and  one  two-cylinder  vertical 
gas  engine  of  the  same  make,  rated  at  100  horse-power. 

During  the  cotton-ginning  season  this  plant  operates  steadily 
at  full  load,  with  a  fuel  consumption  of  about  4,400  pounds  of 
lignite  from  the  mines  of  the  Southwestern  Fuel  &  Manufactur¬ 
ing  Company,  Calvert,  Pobertson  county. 

It  rarely  operates  except  during  the  ginning  season,  but  is 
held  in  reserve  as  an  auxiliary  to  a  steam-driven  generator 
which  is  a  part  of  an  ice-plant.  The  gas  engine  was  the  orig¬ 
inal  installation,  but  the  addition  of  the  ice-plant  made  steam 


110 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


necessary,  and  it  was  not  found  economical  to  continue  the  gas- 
unit  in  continuous  operation. 

The  lignite  which  is  used  in  the  producer  and  under  the  boil¬ 
ers  costs  $1.55  a  ton,  delivered.  About  a  barrel  of  tar  a  day  is 
produced  when  the  gas-unit  is  in  operation,  and  is  used  for 
tarring  the  butts  and  the  cross-arms  of  poles  used  by  the  Com¬ 
pany. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  save  the  ammoniacal  liquor. 


Mineola.* 

Mineola  Light  &  Ice  Company. 

Equipment :  One  Smith  suction  down-draft  producer  of  100 
horse-power,  one  Rathbun- Jones  three-cylinder  vertical  gas  en¬ 
gine  rated  to  develop  90  brake  horse-power  on  80  cubic  feet  of 
gas  of  135  B.  T.  U.  per  cubic  foot,  at  700  feet  elevation.  The 
engine  drives  a  line  shaft  for  two  generators. 

The  gas  unit  operates  about  13  hours  every  night  during  the 
winter  months  and  about  11  hours  during  the  summer  months. 
The  winter  load  is  greater  than  the  summer  load^  and  the  con¬ 
sumption  of  fuel  is  correspondingly  higher.  Lignite  screenings 
are  used,  2,000  pounds  a  day  in  winter  and  1,400  pounds  in 
summer. 

Two  boilers,  of  80  and  50  horse-power,  are  used  for  the  ice 
machines  and  for  driving  a  25  kilowatt  Curtis  horizontal  tur¬ 
bine  for  the  day  load.  These  boilers  are  rarely  operated  at 
rated  capacity,  the  average  load  seldom  being  over  110  horse¬ 
power.  .The  fuel  used  under  the  boilers  is  the  same  as  is  used 
in  the  producer,  lignite  screenings,  yet  the  consumption  is  about 
four  times  as  great. 

In  the  original  plant  here,  which  was  operated  about  seven 
years,  there  was  an  Ideal  automatic  engine.  The  producer- 
plant  has  been  in  operation  three  years,  and  has  shovm  a  net 
saving  of  $500  a  vear.  It  represents  an  investment  of  about 
$13,000. 

The  lignite  screenings,  used  in  the  producer,  come  from  the 
mines  of  the  Consumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt  and  Alba, 
Wood  Countv.  This  fuel  costs  90  cents  a  ton.  delivered. 

t/ 

Screened  lump,  which  may  be  used,  would  cost  $1.40,  delivered. 
The  producer  is  of  an  old  type,  the  fire-containing  body  resting 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


111 


directly  upon  the  foundation  and  the  ashes  falling  into  a  pit 
from  which  they  are  drawn  with  long-handled  shovels.  The 
three  charging  holes  in  the  top  of  the  producer  are  absent  and 
the  fuel  is  fed  directly  inside  the  ring  at  the  top,  instead  of 
outside  of  it,  as  is  the  case  with  the  newer  type  of  this  pro¬ 
ducer.  Hot  water  is  supplied  from  an  exhaust  heater  situated 
on  the  side  of  the  engine  away  from  the  producer. 

For  the  most  part,  the  tar  is  thrown  away,  although  a  little 
has  been  used  to  dip  some  poles  and  cross-arms.  No  attempt 
is  made  to  save  the  ammoniacal  liquor. 

The  producer  is  charged  four  times  during  its  run,  and  the 
ashes  are  drawn  every  morning  after  the  engine  is  shut  down. 
The  ashes  were  free  of  combustible  matter,  and  no  large  clinkers 
were  seen. 

Pittsburg.* 

The  Arkansas  &  Texas  Consolidated  Ice  &  Coal  Company. 

Equipment:  One  Westinghouse  double-zone  suction  pro¬ 
ducer  (tarless),-  rated  at  100  horse-power,  and  a  Westinghouse 
three-cylinder  vertical  gas  engine,  rated  at  75  horse-power.  The 
engine  is  belted  to  a  General  Electric  generator  of  75  K.  W.  for 
power  and  lighting. 

The  unit  operates  continuously  for  24  hours  a  day,  although 
at  full  load  not  more  than  four  hours.  At  times  a  small  over¬ 
load  is  carried. 

The  fuel  used  is  a  mixture  of  Arkansas  semi-anthracite  pea 
and  Texas  lump  lignite,  in  varying  proportions^  although  for 
the  most  part  the  mixture  is  composed  of  three  parts  of  anthra¬ 
cite  and  one  part  of  lignite.  .The  lignite  is  from  the  mines  of 
the  Como  Lignite  Mining  Company,  Como,  Hopkins  County. 
The  semi-anthracite  pea  coal  is  delivered  at  $5.00  a  ton,  and 
the  screened  lump  lignite  at  $1.10.  The  lignite  is  also  used 
under  two  125  horse-power  boilers  for  the  ice  plant  and  the 
evaporation,  per  pound  of  lignite,  is  three  pounds  of  water  from 
and  at  212  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  boilers  are  seldom  oper¬ 
ated  at  rated  capacity. 

The  anthracite  and  lignite  are  charged  separately,  the  an¬ 
thracite  being  used,  for  the  most  part,  during  the  day,  while 
the  lignite  carries  the  peak  load  at  night.  It  was  stated  that 


112 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


the  lignite  gave  a  more  uniform  gas,  but  required  more  atten¬ 
tion  than  the  anthracite.  The  use  of  anthracite  seems  to  be  re¬ 
quired  by  the  necessity  of  operating  the  plant  steadily,  as  no 
time  is  allowed  for  attending  to  the  “drop”  in  the  producer 
when  lignite  alone  is  used.  .The  chief  trouble  in  the  use  of  the 
lignite  was  said  to  be  due  to  its  high  content  of  moisture.  A 
successful  test  made  by  the  Westinghouse  Company,  at  Pitts¬ 
burg,  Penn.,  was  on  lignite  that  carried  about  23  per  cent,  of 
moisture,  but  ordinarily  the  lignite  used  carries  over  30  per 
cent. 

When  the  plant  was  first  installed  freshlj^  mined  lignite  was 
used,  but  it  “hung”  in  the  producer.  Air-dried  lignite  was 
then  used,  but  it  was  found  to  cause  trouble  in  choking.  The 
present  mixture  of  semi-anthracite  and  screened  lump  lignite 
has  enabled  the  operators  to  avoid  these  troubles. 

A  brake  horse-power  is  obtained  from  1.10  pounds  of  the 
mixture. 

> 

The  following  analysis  of  the  gas  Avas  given  as  typical : 

Per  cent. 


Carbon  dioxide  .  9.0 

Carbon  monoxide  .  16.8 

Hydrogen  . 13.2 

Methane  . 4.1 

Oyxgen  .  0.7 

Nitrogen  .  56.2 


mo 

This  analysis  represents  the  gas  from  the  ordinary  mixture  of 
three  parts  of  anthracite  and  one  part  of  lignite.  The  average 
B.  T.  U.,  or  heating  poAver,  is  120.  When  running  on  all  lignite 
the  average  B.  T.  U.  is  not  over  106,  but  “snap”  samples  have 
shoAvn  as  high  as  150.  The  producer  is  guaranteed  to  deliver  75 
per  cent,  of  the  available  heat  units  in  the  fuel  Avhich  is  not  to 
contain  less  than  8,000  B.  T.  U.  per  pound.  The  gas  is  to  carry 
120  B.  T.  U.  per  cubic  foot  and  the  engine  is  to  deliver  one 
brake  horse-pOAver  for  each  10,000  available  heat  units. 

Operating  conditions  here  vary  AA’ith  the  proportion  of  lignite 
in  the  mixture.  In  general,  the  pressure  of  the  blast  is  greater 
on  the  loAver  zone  of  the  producer  than  on  the  upper  zone.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  day  and  when  the  proportion  of  anthracite  is  as  3  to  1, 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


113 


the  upper  inlet  valve  is  about  one-fourth  open,  and  the  lower 
valve  about  three-fourths  open.  When  the  lignite  predominates, 
at  night,  the  top  of  the  producer  is  generally  cracked  open. 

.The  producer  is  charged  every  hour,  poked  every  eight  hours, 
and  the  ashes  are  drawn  twice  a  day.  The  ashes  were  free  of 
combustible  matter,  and  no  clinkers  were  observed.  The  pro¬ 
ducer  is  of  the  tarless  type,  and  no  tar  is  made.  No  attempt  is 
made  to  utilize  the  ammoniacal  liquors. 

The  consumption  of  water  in  the  cooler  and  scrubber  is  about 
10,000  gallons  per  24  hours,  the  cooler  being  fitted  with  auxiliary 
spray  pipes.  One  man  fires  the  producer  and  the  two  boilers  on 
a  12-hour  shift. 

At  the  end  of  the  ice-making  season  it  is  likely  that  the  plant 
will  be  operated  on  anthracite  alone,  until  the  next  season. 

The  original  installation  here  comprised  an  Ideal  high-speed 
steam  engine,  belted  to  an  old  133  cycle  generator.  The  fuel  con¬ 
sumption  was  about  38  pounds  of  lignite  per  kilowatt  hour. 

Since  the  installation  of  the  producer  power  plant  there  has 
been  effected  a  saving  in  fuel  alone  of  $350.00  a  month.  But  this 
may  not  represent  the  net  gain,  as  the  expense  of  oil  and  repairs 
is  likely  to  be  larger  now  than  it  was  then. 

Rockport.* 

Rockport  Ice  &  Light  Company. 

Equipment:  One  50  horse-power  Fairbanks- Morse  suction' 
up-draft  producer  and  a  50  horse-power  Fairbanks-Morse  gas 
engine,  single  cylinder,  horizontal.  .The  engine  is  belted  to  a 
Fairbanks-Morse  generator,  rebuilt  by  John  B.  Connelly,  San 
Antonio.  The  engine  operates  not  more  than  10  hours  a  day 
on  a  fuel  consumption  of  about  1,500  pounds.  The  generator 
has  not  hitherto  been  loaded  to  more  than  three-fourths  of  the 
rated  capacity.  The  entire  current  is  used  for  domestic  and 
street  lighting,  and  the  load  is  fairly  steady. 

While  operating,  the  producer  is  charged  every  one  and  a 
half  hours  with  about  200  pounds  of  lignite  and  immediately 
before  charging  the  fire  is  poked  down  and  the  ashes  drawn. 
The  ash-pit  is  cleaned  once  a  day.  The  cooling  and  scrubbing 
water  is  drawn  from  one  of  six  wells  drilled  for  the  ice  plant, 
and  all  waste  products  are  discharged  into  the  bay. 


114  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

No  attempts  are  made  to  save  any  by-products.  No  records 
are  available  in  regard  to  the  consumption  of  lignite  per  brake 
horse-power. 

Round  Rock.* 

Round  Rock  White  Lime  Company 

At  this  place  a  No.  10 V2  Wood  pressure  up-draft  producer 
was  installed  in  the  fall  of  1910  for  providing  gas  for  burning 
lime,  but  it  has  not  been  in  operation  for  two  months.  It  is 
stated  that  the  gas  showed  excessive  variations  in  composition. 
At  times  it  blazed  and  smoked  at  the  top  of  the  kilns;  at 
other  times  it  could  hardly  be  lighted.  It  is  understood  that 
changes  are  to  be  made  whereby  better  results  can  be  secured. 

Three  different  fuels  have  been  tried  here,  coal  from  the 
Cannel  Coal  Company,  Laredo,  Webb  county;  coal  from  the 
Olmoso  Coal  Company,  Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  county,  and  lig¬ 
nite  from  the  .Texas  Coal  Company,  Rockdale,  Milam  county. 

The  delivery  price  of  the  Olmos  Coal  was  $3.80  and  of  the 
lignite  $1.30.  .The  operating  force  consisted  of  two  men  on 
each  of  three  shifts  and  half  time  of  one  man  for  firing  a  steam 
boiler  for  running  a  hoisting  engine.  This  is  the  second  pro¬ 
ducer  plant  installed  for  burning  lime  that  has  not  operated 
successfully.  The  experience  at  the  plant  of  the  Austin  White 
Lime  Company  at  McNeil,  a  few  miles  from  Round  Rock,  is 
similar  to  that  at  Round  Rock. 

Just  where  the  trouble  is  we  are  not  prepared  to  say,  but  it 
is  likely  that  most  of  it  is  in  the  method  of  handling  the  pro¬ 
ducer.  This  type  of  producer  is  well  known  and  is  success¬ 
fully  used  elsewhere  on  similar  work.  Whatever  may  be  the 
explanation,  the  fact  remains  that  neither  at  McNeil  nor  at 
Round  Rock  has  there  been  much  success  in  burning  lime  with 
producer  gas.  At  both  these  plants  complaint  is  made  that 
the  gas  shows  undue  variations  in  composition,  and  that  it  has 
been  impossible  to  keep  it  within  the  limits  of  efficiency, 

Royse.* 

The  Royse  Milling  &  Light  Company, 

The  equipment  here  consisted  of  a  Fairbanks-l\Iorse  suction 
up-draft  producer  of  7:‘>  horse-power  and  a  75  horse-power  gas 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


115 


engine  of  the  same  make.  The  producer  used  a  mixture  of 
Pennsylvania  anthracite  and  Texas  lignite.  The  plant  was 
operated  for  about  four  years,  during  which  time  the  power 
was  used  for  milling  and  for  lighting.  About  a  year  ago  it 
was  dismantled  and  is  now  for  sale.  It  is  said  that  a  serious 
shortage  of  water  has  caused  the  suspension  of  operations  by 
this  Company,  the  steam  plant  which  replaced  the  producer 
plant  not  having  been  in  operation  for  ten  months,  nor  has  any 
ice  been  made  in  that  time.  • 

San  Angelo. 

San  Angelo  Street  Car  Company. 

Equipment :  One  Smith  suction  down-draft  producer  of 
250  horse-power;  two  Alberger  gas  engines  of  125  horse-power 
each.  The  engines  are  direct  connected  to  generators. 

The  fuel  used  is  lignite  from  Rockdale,  Milam  county,  and 
costs  $2.32  a  ton,  delivered.  The  consumption  of  fuel  per  18 
hours  is  4,000  pounds. 

The  yield  of  tar  is  12  gallons  per  ton  of  lignite,  and  the  tar 
is  sold  for  10  cents  a  gallon  for  creosoting. 

Producer  gas  is  cheaper  than  steam,  but  is  not  as  reliable. 

This  plant  was  not  visited  personally,  and  the  above  infor¬ 
mation  w^as  supplied  by  the  Company. 

San  Antonio.* 

The  San  Antonio  Portland  Cement  Company. 

Works  about  five  miles  north  of  the  city. 

Equipment :  Three  90-inch  Smith  down-draft  producers, 

of  200  horse-power  each,  and  one  Allis-Chalmers  600  horse¬ 
power  horizontal  two-cylinder  double-acting  tandem  gas  en¬ 
gine.  The  engine  is  direct  connected  to  an  Allis-Chalmers 
generator  for  supplying  power  for  the  cement  mill  and  oper¬ 
ates  continuously.  The  fuel  is  lignite. 

No  data  is  available  concerning  the  fuel  consumption  per 
kilowatt  hour,  although  the  amount  used  is  said  to  be  nine  tons 
per  24  hours. 

The  supply  of  water  being  somewhat  limited,  at  times,  the 
scrubber  and  cooler  water  is  filtered,  cooled  and  used  over 
again,  as  is  also  the  engine  water. 


116 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


No  attempt  is  made  to  utilize  the  tar  or  ammoniacal  liquor. 

Two  men  per  shift  of  12  hours  are  required  on  the  pro¬ 
ducers,  only  one  of  whom  can  be  classed  as  a  skilled  laborer. 
The  producer  capacity  of  this  plant  is  soon  to  be  increased  by 
the  installation  of  enough  Smith  producers  to  bring  the  ca¬ 
pacity  up  to  1,200  horse-power.  This,  of  course,  will  call  for 
additional  engine  capacity,  and  it  is  understood  that  the  Rath- 
bun- Jones  engines  will  be  installed. 

Smithville.* 


Smithville  Light  &  Power  Company 

Equipment :  One  150  horse-power  Fairbanks-Morse  suction 
up-draft  producer  and  one  150  horse-power  Fairbanks-Morse 
three-cylinder  vertical  gas  engine.  The  engine  is  belted  to  a 
line-shaft  which  is  connected,  through  a  belt,  with  the  gener¬ 
ator.  The  fuel  is  lignite  from  the  mines  of  the  Independence 
Mining  Company,  Phelan,  Bastrop  county. 

The  engine  operates  practically  all  the  time,  for  it  performs 
three  classes  of  service.  The  pumps  for  supphdng  the  town  of 
Smithville  with  water  are  in  constant  use.  During  the  day 
the  power  necessary  for  operating  an  aerial  tram  system  for 
conveying  sand  and  gravel  from  the  bed  of  the  Colorado  River 
is  taken  from  the  main  line  shaft  through  a  rope  drive.  At 
night  the  lighting  load  approaches  the  rated  capacity  of  the 
engine.  The  fuel  used  is  approximately  4,000  pounds  per  24 
hours,  the  producer  being  charged  about  every  three  hours  on 
day  load  and  about  every  two  hours  at  night, 

There  was  trouble,  at  first,  in  discharging  the  tar  through 
the  waste-pipe,  but  this  was  corrected  by  piping  the  hot  water 
from  the  engine  jacket  to  the  scrubber.  No  attempt  is  made  to 
save  the  tar  or  ammoniacal  liquor. 

Two  features  of  this  plant  deserve  special  mention.  First, 
the  use  of  cotton-seed  hulls  in  the  dry  scrubber.  These  are 
changed  every  three  months,  and  their  use  has  been  found  to 
be  satisfactory.  So  far  as  Imown,  this  is  the  only  plant  in  the 
State  making  such  use  of  cotton-seed  hulls.  The  other  is  the 
riveting  together  of  the  grate  bars  in  the  producer  in  sets  of 
three,  so  as  to  prevent  warping.  Here,  as  elsewhere  with  this 
type  of  producer,  the  only  source  of  moisture  for  the  blast  is 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


117 


the  water  in  the  ash-pit.  No  data  is  available  concerning  the 
consumption  of  fuel  per  brake  horse-power  or  per  kilowatt 
hour. 

Stephenville.* 

Stephenville  Light  &  Water  Works. 

Equipment :  One  Fairbanks-Morse  suction  up-draft  pro¬ 
ducer  of  100  horse-power  and  one  Fairbanks-Morse  two-cylin¬ 
der  vertical  gas  engine  of  100  horse-power.  The  engine  is 
belted  to  a  75  kilowatt  Fairbanks-Morse  alternator  at  1,150 
volts  for  light  and  power.  It  is  also  belted  to  a  line  shaft  for 
driving  a  double  battery  of  cotton  gins. 

This  plant  was  not  in  operation  at  the  time  of  visiting,  June 
2nd,  as  the  engine  cylinders  had  been  re-bored  and  the  new  pis¬ 
tons  were  not  yet  in  place. 

The  plant  was  installed  about  three  and  one-half  years  ago 
to  supplement  steam.  The  steam  plant  was  operated  with  oil 
as  fuel  and  the  engine  was  a  Skinner  automatic,  belted  to  a 
Fairbanks-Morse  generator.  The  producer  plant  operates 
steadily  24  hours  a  day  and  seven  days  in  the  week  on  a  fuel 
consumption  of  6,000  to  7,000  pounds  of  lignite  a  day.  The 
lignite  comes  from  the  mines  of  the  Consumers’  Lignite  Com¬ 
pany,  Hoyt,  Wood  county,  and  costs  $2.25  a  ton,  delivered. 

On  full  load  the  consumption  of  lignite  is  about  three  pounds 
per  brake  horse-power.  About  a  barrel  of  tar  is  made  every 
24  hours,  but  no  attempt  is  made  to  save  this  or  the  ammoniacal 
liquor. 

The  engine  exhausts  into  an  underground  muffler,  with  no 
water  heater  anywhere  on  the  line.  The  only  moisture  avail¬ 
able  for  the  blast  is  from  the  ash-pit.  The  ashes  seemed  to  be 
free  of  combustible  matter,  and  no  large  clinkers  were  ob¬ 
served. 

Two  men  on  each  shift  and  two  shifts  a  day  is  the  practice 
here.  The  producer  is  charged  every  hour,  rodded  dovm  and 
the  ashes  drawn  on  a  regular  plan.  Thus,  rod  on  the  half  hour, 
charge  on  the  hour  and  draw  ashes  immediately  after  charg¬ 
ing. 

An  individual  induction  motor  has  been  installed  to  drive 
the  scrubber,  as  the  engine  is  about  60  feet  from  the  producer. 


•118 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


Coke  is  used  in  the  dry  scrubber,  and  is  changed  every  ninety 
days.  The  sudden  variations  of  load,  due  to  the  double  battery 
of  gins,  are  well  cared  for.  The  gins  are  not  run  at  night,  so  the 
effect  of  slowing  the  engine  is  not  noticed  in  the  lights. 

Taylor.* 

T.  W.  Marse  Company. 

Equipment:  One  25  horse-power  Fairbanks-Morse  anthracite 
producer  and  one  25  horse-power  horizontal  single  cylinder  gas 
engine  of  the  same  make.  The  plant  was  used  for  a  coffee  roast¬ 
ing  and  grinding  establishment  and  for  lighting.  .The  plant  was 
operated  for  a  year  and  was  then  replaced  by  current  from  a  cen¬ 
tral  power  station  run  by  steam. 

Teague.* 

Teague  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company. 

Equipment :  One  50  horse-power  Fairbanks-Morse  suction  up¬ 
draft  producer  and  one  50  horse-power  engine  of  same  make, 
horizontal,  single  cylinder.  This  engine  is  belted  to  a  30  k.  v.  a. 
Fairbanks-Morse  alternator. 

There  is  also  one  100  horse-power  Fairbanks-Morse  suction  up¬ 
draft  producer  and  one  100  horse-power  two-cylinder  vertical  gas 
engine  of  same  make.  This  engine  is  belted  to  a  75  k.  v.  a.  Fair¬ 
banks-Morse  alternator. 

.The  small  engine  operates  from  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  on  about 
three-fourths  load,  the  larger  engine  from  6  p.  m.  to  12  p.  m., 
on  about  80  per  cent,  of  full  load.  The  small  engine  comes  on 
again  at  12  p.  m.  and  runs  until  6  a.  m.  on  half  load.  The  entire 
plant  is  idle  from  6  a.  m.  until  9  a.  m.'  The  larger  unit  requires 
about  1,500  pounds  of  fuel  for  six  hours  and  the  smaller  about 
3,000  pounds  for  15  hours. 

.The  lignite  used  is  from  the  mines  of  the  Houston  County  Coal 
&  Manufacturing  Company,  at  Evansville,  and  costs  $1.80  a  ton, 
delivered. 

The  small  plant  was  installed  in  April,  1908,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$7,200.00.  The  addition  was  installed  in  December,  1909,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $13,000. 

> .  The  scrubber  water  and  tar  are  led  through  a  barrel  flush  with 
the  surface.  The  tar  flows  over  the  top  of  this  barrel  into  open 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


119 


ditches.  The  water  is  conveyed  from  the  bottom  of  this  barrel 
to  a  second  barrel,  and  thence  is  pumped  to  a  cooling  tower  and 
returned  to  circulation.  .The  engine  jacket-water  is  similarly 
cooled,  in  a  separate  tower,  and  used  again.  The  only  use  made 
of  the  tar  is  for  treating  the  butts  and  cross-arms  of  poles.  From 
20  to  25  gallons  of  tar  are  produced  daily.  Each  of  the  tar  ex¬ 
tractors  is  driven  by  an  independent  motor  and  the  same  blower 
serves  both  producers. 

The  producers  are  charged  every  two  to  three  hours  and  the 
clinker  is  broken  out  from  the  bottom  every  hour,  The  ashes 
were  free  of  combustible  matter  and  no  large  clinkers  were  ob¬ 
served. 

Terrell.* 

Shops  of  Texas  Midland  Railway. 

An  Irvin  producer  of  100  horse  power  capacity  was  installed 
here,  but  was  not  in  operation  at  the  time  of  visiting.  The  en¬ 
gine  is  a  Weber  three-cylinder  vertical,  direct  connected  to  the 
generator.  It  is  said  that  this  plant  has  not  been  run  longer  than 
15  days,  all  told. 

The  producer  is  of  the  suction  up-draft  type,  with  revolving 
body,  and  was  made  by  The  Murray  Company,  Dallas.  Both  top 
and  bottom  are  stationary,  with  water-seal.  The  fuel  (lignite) 
was  charged  continuously  and  automatically,  the  ashes  being 
drawn  at  irregular  intervals.  The  amount  of  tar  produced  was 
excessive  and  the  tar  extractor  was  unable  to  handle  it.  A 
standard  Smith  extractor  has  been  ordered  and  experiments  will 
be  continued.  The  tar  was  of  good  quality  and  was  used  for 
starting  fires  in  the  locomotives,  etc. 

The  longest  recorded  run  at  this  plant  was  about  10  hours, 
during  which  time  the  engine  operated  at  approximately  full 
load  with  about  2,500  pounds  of  lignite  from  the  mines  of  the 
Consumers’  Lignite  Company,  Hoyt  and  Alba,  Wood  county. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  clean  the  scrubber  water  and 
return  it  to  circulation,  but  these  will  not  be  made  when  oper¬ 
ations  are  resumed.  The  jacket-water  is  tower-cooled,  and 
used  again.  .The  blast  obtained  its  heat  and  moisture  from  a 
saturator  supplied  from  an  exhaust  water  heater.  In  this  sat¬ 
urator  the  hot  water  was  run  down  a  section  of  spiral  con¬ 
veyor. 


120 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


The  [)roducer  body  is  revolved  by  a  small  motor  operating 
through  double  worm  gears  once  in  40  minutes.  As  the  feed 
is  by  adjustable  ratchet  from  one  of  these  worm  shafts,  the 
amount  of  fuel  charged  may  be  regulated  at  will. 

This  producer  was  built  in  the  shops  of  The  Murray  Com¬ 
pany,  Dallas,  by  ]\Ir.  Irvin,  Mr.  J.  H.  McDonough  and  Mr.  E. 
M.  R.  Green.  It  is  to  be  tested  thoroughly  before  others  are 
built.  It  is  said  that  the  results,  so  far,  were  very  satisfactory. 

Weatherford. 

A  Westinghouse  producer  and  gas  engine  plant  was  in¬ 
stalled  here  some  time  ago,  but  is  not  now  in  operation,  and  no 
records  are  available. 

Yorktown. 

Yorktoivn  Light  &  lee  Company. 

Equipment ;  One  Smith  suction  down-draft  producer  of  60 
horse-power  and  a  Rathbun- Jones  60  hoi’se-power  vertical  gas 
engine.  The  fuel  used  is  lignite. 

.This  plant  was  not  visited  and  we  were  unable  to  secure 
further  information  by  correspondence. 


SUIMMARY. 

In  conclusion  it  might  be  well  to  give  a  brief  summary  of 
the  features  which  apply  to  the  producer  gas  field  as  a  whole. 
Certain  of  these  have  already  been  touched  upon;  others  have 
not  heretofore  been  mentioned. 

Tlie  fact  that  but  three  manufacurers  handle  both  producer 
and  engine  has  been  spoken  of,  as  also  the  advantage  of  regard¬ 
ing  producer  and  engine  as  a  unit,  to  be  designed  and  operated 
as  such.  The  seemingly  analogous  case  of  steam  boilers  and 
engines  does  not  apply  here  at  all.  Steam  is  steam,  Avhether 
generated  in  the  fire-tube  or  water-tube,  horizontal  or  vertical, 
coal-fired  or  oil-fired  boilers,  and  the  sole  requisite  made  bj^  a 
steam  engine  is  that  its  working  medium  be  under  pressiu'e 
and  dry.  Steam  engine  performance  is  commonly  guaranteed 
in  terms  of  so  many  pounds  of  dn*  steam  at  a  rated  pressure 
to  generate  a  brake  horse-power.  The  production  of  the  steam 
is  a  separate  process,  involving  entirely  separate  economies, 


Texas  Coals  and  Lignites 


121 


and  the  relation  between  furnace,  boiler  and  engine  is  by  no 
means  close,  this  being  particularly  the  case  between  furnace 
and  engine.  The  fuel  bears  a  direct  relation  to  the  boiler 
economy,  but  between  it  and  the  prime  mover  one  must  con¬ 
sider  the  steam.  It  would  seem  that  in  the  steam  plant  rep¬ 
resented  by  a  compound  Corliss  engine,  followed  by  a  low 
pressure  condensing  turbine,  the  maximum  efficiency  in  steam 
prime  movers  had  been  reached,  and  that  future  improvements 
must  come  in  the  furnace  and  boilers.  It  is  for  these  reasons 
that  the  relation  between  fuel  and  engine  are  not  so  close  as  is 
the  case  with  gas  producer  and  engine. 

In  the  gas  plant,  engine  performance  is  generally  based  on 
effective  heat  units  delivered  to  the  engine,  a  common  guaran¬ 
tee  being  a  brake  horse-power  for  each  10,000  effective  heat 
units.  By  ‘‘effective”  heat  units  we  mean  only  those  that  are 
actually  used  in  the  cylinder  during  the  combustion  of  the 
charge.  A  certain  amount  of  heat  is  evolved,  when  the  gas 
is  burned,  and  owing  to  the  presence  of  hydrogen,  water  is 
formed,  which  is  evaporated  to  steam.  This  steam  is  lost  in 
the  exhaust,  and  hence  is  not  available  in  doing  work.  The 
effective  heat  units  equal  the  total  minus  the  loss  by  steam  in 
the  exhaust.  As  these  effective  heat  units  are  to  be  supplied 

by  the  combustion  of  the  various  substances  that  comprise 
the  gas,  it  follows  that  they  vary  directly  with  the  composi¬ 
tion  of  the  gas,  and  as  the  gas  varies  more  with  the  composi¬ 
tion  of  the  fuel  than  with  any  other  one  factor,  it  follows  that 
the  relation  between  engine  and  fuel  is  much  closer  than  is  the 

case  with  steam.  A  case  very  much  at  instance  can  be  noted 
at  Dallas,  where  an  engine  developing  600  horse-power  on 

producer-gas  of  rather  a  low  heating  power  developed  720  on 
natural  gas  of  a  very  much  higher  heating  power. 

A  much  better  analogue  than  the  steam  engine  and  boiler 
will  be  found  in  the  gasoline  engine  and  carburetor.  The  great 
advantage  of  the  internal  combustion  motor  lies  in  its  ability 
to  discard  the  boiler,  and  deal  direct  with  its  fuel,  and  it  seems 
to  the  writer  that  one  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  the  pro¬ 
ducer-gas  power  plant  should  lie  in  its  treatment  as  a  single 
compact  unit.  This  must  not  be  taken  as  a  criticism  of  those 
plants  where  producer  and  engine  are  not  made  by  a  single 
manufacturer,  but  as  an  expression  of  individual  opinion. 


122  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

Many  of  the  plants  have  shown  excellent  economy  and  opera¬ 
tion,  and  no  criticism  is  intended. 

A  further  fact  worthy  of  mention  is  the  apparent  lack  of 
interest  shown  by  the  manufacturers  after  installation  and  ac¬ 
ceptance  by  the  purchaser.  The  operator  is  frequently  left  to 
work  out  his  troubles  alone,  and  the  almost  invariable  expe¬ 
rience  has  been  “trouble  the  first  six  months,  but  as  soon  as  I 
learned  to  run  my  plant  I  got  along  fine.  The  manufacturers 
seemed  not  to  care.”  Some  makers  are  a  gratifying  exception 
to  this  general  rule,  but  it  is  the  belief  of  the  writer  that  if 
the  makers  took  a  more  intimate  interest  *  in  the  operation  of 
their  equipment,  there  would  be  more  general  satisfaction,  par¬ 
ticularly  during  the  first  year. 

The  province  of  the  producer-gas  power  plant  is  by  no  means 
unlimited.  It  has  its  uses,  and  for  these  particular  uses  it  is 
undoubtedly  the  most  efficient  type  of  prime  mover — water 
excepted,  of  course — yet  developed.  A¥here  water  for  boiler 
purposes  is  scarce,  and  even  where  water  is  plentiful,  but  the 
size  of  the  plant  does  not  warrant  condensers,  the  producer 
is  peculiarly  adapted,  more  especially  if  the  distance  from 
good  steaming  coal  is  great.  The  widespread  area  of  lignite  in 
Texas,  its  cheapness  and  the  question  of  water,  all  combine  to 
make  the  producer-gas  power  plant  well  worthy  of  close  con¬ 
sideration. 

Austin,  Texas, 

June,  1911. 


Texas  Coal  and  Lignites 
ADDITIONAL  ANALYSES  OF  LIGNITES. 


T23 


A  sample  of  lignite  received  from  Mr.  E,.  B.  Nelson,  Gilmer, 
Upshur  county,  had  the  following  composition: 

Per  cent. 

Moisture .  11.40 

Volatile  matter .  43.36 

Fixed  carbon .  34.20 

Ash .  11.04 

100.00 

Sulphur .  0.89 

A  sample  of  lignite  received  from  Mr.  R.  W.  Rodgers,  Tex¬ 
arkana,  Bowie  county,  had  the  following  composition: 

Proximate  Analysis —  Per  cent. 

Moisture  .  13.68 

Volatile  matter . 48.61 

Fixed  carbon .  26.25 

Ash .  11.46 

100.00 

Sulphur .  0.47 

Ultimate  Analysis — 

Carbon . 47.05 

Hydrogen  .  3.91 

Oxygen  .  21.90 

Nitrogen  .  1.53 

Sulphur .  0.89 

Ash . 11.04 

Heating  power,  British  Thermal  Units . 10,362 

.TAR  FROM  TEXAS  LIGNITES. 


In  his  ‘‘Brown  Coal  and  Lignite,”  1892,  Mr.  E.  T.  Dumble, 
former  State  Geologist,  gives  (pp.  218-221)  the  results  of  some 
researches  made  on  tar  from  Texas  lignites  by  Dr.  Krey,  Rie- 
becksche  Montan-Gesellschaft,  Webau,  Germany.  The  lignite, 
from  which  the  tar  tested  by  Dr.  Krey  was  obtained,  came 
from  the  Angelina  river,  San  Augustine  county.  It  had  the 
following  composition: 


124 


JiuUetin  of  the  U niversily  of  Texas 


Per  cent. 


Moisture  .  12.15 

Volatile  matter .  37.14 

Fixed  carbon .  41.14 

Ash .  6.50 

Sulphur  .  3.02 


This  lignite  yielded  5.56  per  cent,  of  tar,  the  composition  of 
which  was  as  follows: 

Per  cent. 


Kn,w  oil,  paraffin — free.  . .  7 

Raw  oil,  containing  paraffin .  70 

Water .  1 

Coke  .  2 

Loss  as  gaseous  matter .  20 


100 

The  yield  of  hard  paraffin  (melting  at  125.6°  F.)  was  8  per 
cent,  by  weight  of  the  tar,  which  was  equal  to  the  yield  from 
German  tar.  ‘\The  paraffin,  being  the  only  valuable  product, 
however,  the  brown  coal  tested  could  not  he  considered  a  tar 
coal,  and  would  not  yield  sufficient  returns  for  lucrative  manu¬ 
facture.  ’  ’ 

Lignites  from  other  parts  of  the  State  gave  the  following 
yield  in  tar: 


Counties —  Per  cent. 

Bowie  .- . ■ . 9 

Lee  . 8 

Leon  . . 6 

Medina . 6 

Milam . 7  to  8 

Robertson . 5  to  6.5 

Rusk . 8 

San  Augustine . 8.5 

Smith  . 8 

Wood  . . 7  to  8 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Alba,  Wood  county,  lignite  near .  54 

lignite  from,  used  in  producer. 

See  Consumers  Lignite  Co. 

Alba  Lignite  Co.,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 45-46,  49,  51 

Alba-Malakoff  Lignite  Co.,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 45-46,  49,  51 

Alberger  Gas  Engine . 76-78,  115 

Allis-Chalmers  Gas  Engines . 76-78,  87,  115 

Generator  .  82,  87 

Altair,  irrigation  pumping  plant  at .  78,  81 

Alto,  Cherokee  county,  lignite  near .  53 

Amarillo  Water,  Light  &  Power  Co.,  producer  plant  at . 75-79,  81 

American  Centrifugal  Pump .  100 

American  Lignite  Briquette  Co.,  Rockdale,  analysis  of  lignite 

from  . 45-46,  49,  51 

Ammoniacal  liquor,  not  saved  at  any  plant. 

filter  beds  for .  105 

Ammonia,  in  ammoniacal  liquor .  105 

yield  of,  from  coal,  elsewhere .  22 

AnaL^sis,  proximate,  defined .  19 

ultimate,  defined  .  19 

Anderson  county,  analysis  of  Pgnite  from .  53-55 

Angelina  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53 

Angelina  river,  San  Augustine  county,  lignite  on .  54 

Anthracite  coal,  use  of,  in  producer . 115,  118 

Arkansas  coal,  use  of,  in  producer . 59,  79,  99,  111 

cost  of  .  Ill 

Arkansas  &  Texas  Consolidated  Ice  &  Coal  Co.,  Pittsburg,  pro¬ 
ducer  plant  of . 75,  78,  111 

Ash,  in  Texas  coals,  range  of .  11,  17 

in  Texas  lignites,  range  of.. .  41 

Atascosa  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53 

Atlas  Steam  Engine .  99 

Austin  White  Lime  Co.,  McNeil,  producer  plant  of . 78,  108,  114 

Ball  Steam  Engine .  99 

Bastrop  Coal  Co.,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  105 

Bastrop  county,  lignite  from . 38-40,  45-46,  105,  116 

See  also  Independence  Mining  Co. 

Bean’s  creek,  Cherokee  county,  lignite  on .  53 

Beckville,  Panola  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Bear  Grass  Coal  Co.,  Jewett,  analysis  of  lignite  from.  .45-46,  49,  51,  105 

cost  of  lignite  from . 83,  101-102 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer .  83, 101 

Belknap  Coal  Co.,  Newcastle,  analysis  of  coal  from . 20,  26-30 

Bertetti  Coal  Co.,  Lytle,  analysis  of  lignite  from. .  .38-40,  45-46,  49,  51 

Bethel  headright,  J.,  Houston  county,  lignite  on .  53-54 

Bethlehem  Steel  Co.,  Gas  engine . 76-79,  103 

producer  . 76-79,  103 

Blooming  Grove,  producer  plant  at . 63,  78-79,  82 

Blue  Branch,  Lee  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Bowie  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from. .  53-55 

Bowie,  Montague  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  33 

Bowie  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  123 


126 


Index 


Page. 

Breckenridge,  Stephens  county,  undeveloped  coal  in .  34 

Brewster  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  36 

Bridgeport  Coal  Co.,  Bridgeport,  analysis  of  coal  from.. 8-10,  17,  26-30 

British  Thermal  Unit,  defined .  24 

“Brown  Coal  &  Lignite,”  Bumble . 3,  37,  55 

Brown  wood  Water  Works,  Brownwood,  producer  plant  at .  78,  82 

Buckeye  Gas  Engine . 76-78,  86 

Burdett  Wells,  Caldwell  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Burnet  Fuel  Co.,  Milano,  cost  of  lignite  from .  101 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer .  101 

Caddo  creek,  Andersen  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Caddo  Natural  Gas  Field,  Louisiana,  gas  from .  61 

Calallen,  producer  plant  at .  78,  82 

Caldwell  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Calorie,  defined  . . .  24 

Calthorp,  Houston  county,  lignite  near .  53-54 

Calvert,  Robertson  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from. 39-40,  45-46,  49,  51 

cost  of  lignite  from . 86,  103 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer . 85-86,  105 

Calvert  Bluff,  Robertson  county,  lignite  at .  53-51 

Campbell,  M.  R.,  estimate  of  extent  of  coal  fields .  6 

Canadian  Water,  Light  and  Power  Co.,  producer  plant  of.  .75,  78-79,  84 

Cannel  Coal  Co.,  Laredo,  analysis  of  coal  from . 8-10,  17,  20,  26-30 

use  of  coal  from,  in  producer .  113 

Carbon,  range  of,  in  Texas  coals .  12,  19 

range  of,  in  Texas  lignites .  41 

Carboniferous  Coal,  area  of . .  6,  8 

Carr  Wood  &  Coal  Co.,  Lytle,  analysis  of  lignite  from.  .38-40,  45-46,  49,  51 

Cass  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Cherokee  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-55 

Chisos  Pen,  Brewster  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  36 

Clay  county,  natural  gas  from . 61,  86-87 

Coals  examined  . 8-10,  27-29 

Coal,  ash,  composition  of .  17 

clinkering  of  .  18 

cost  of:  Arkansas .  Ill 

Colorado  . i .  .  81 

Texas  .  114 

discussion  of:  Moisture  .  12-13 

Volatile  and  Combustible  Matter . 12-13,  15 

Fixed  Carbon  . 12,  15-16 

Ash  .  17-18 

Sulphur  .  19 

fields  in  Texas,  counties  in .  *  8 

extent  of  . 6 

location  of  .  5-6 

railroads  in  .  6 

railroads  suggested  .  8 

flora  of .  42 

fauna  of .  42-43 

producing  counties  .  8 

production  of  .  7 

value  of  .  3,  7 

specific  gravity  .  10,  26 

variation  in  composition  of .  11 

washing  plant  .  7 

weight  per  cubic  foot  of .  10,  26 


Index 


127 


Page. 

Coal,  Lignite  and  Asphalt  Rocks,  report  on,  University  Mineral 

Survey  .  3 

Coal  Branch,  Stephens  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  33-34 

Coke,  used  in  dry  scrubbers .  118 

not  made  in  Texas .  16 

Coleman  .county,  analyses  of  coal  from .  32-33 

Colorado,  coal,  cost  of .  81 

use  of,  in  producer . 59,  75,  81 

“Combustible,”  definition  of  .  71 

Como  Coal  Co.,  Como,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  47 

Como  Lignite  Co.,  Como,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  45-46 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer .  Ill 

Connelly,  John  B.,  engine  builder .  113 

Consumers  Lignite,  Hoyt,  Alba  and  Grand  Saline,  analysis  of 

lignite  from  . 45-46,  72,  88-89,  105 

cost  of  lignite  from . 82,  88,  99 

lignite  tested  at  Pittsburg .  73 

at  St.  Louis .  69-73 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer . 69-73,  82,  88,  99, 

103,  106,  108,  no . 117,  119 

Cookville  Coal  &  Lumber  Co.,  Mt.  Pleasant,  analysis  of  lignite 

.  from . 45-46,  49,  51 

Copper,  in  ash  of  coal .  18 

Corliss  Steam  Engine . 100,  121 

Corpus  Christi,  producer  plant  at . 63,^78-79,  84 

Cotton-seed  hulls,  use  of,  in  dry  scrubber .  116 

Crockett,  Houston  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from. .  .45-46,  49,  51,  105 

cost  of  lignite  from .  86 

use  of,  in  producer.... . 86,  105 

Crystal  Falls,  Stephens  county,  undeveloped  coal .  34 

Cub  Spring,  Brewster  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  36 

Curtis  Horizontal  Steam  Turbine .  110 

Dallas,  producer  plant  at . 78,  79,  86,  121 

producer  plants  near,  see  Eagle  Ford  and  Harry. 

De  La  Vergne  Crude  Oil  Engine .  107 

“Disposable”  hydrogen,  in  coal .  20 

in  lignite  .  51 

Dittlinger  Lime  Co.,  producer  plant  of .  75,  87 

oil-fired  lime  kilns  of .  78,  87 

DuLong  formula  .  25 

Dumble,  E.  T.  quoted . 3,  53,  55,  60 

Eagle  Ford,  producer  plant  at . 59,  78.  87-99 

Eagle  Pass,  Maverick  county,  analysis  of  coal  from.. 8-10,  45-46,  49,  51 

use  of  coal  from,  in  producer . 87,  108,  114 

Eastland  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 9-10,  17 

Edgewood  Coal  &  Fuel  Co.,  Wills  Point,  analysis  of  lignite 

from  . 45-46,  49,  51 

El  Paso  county,  coal  in .  6 

Emory,  Rains  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Engine  horse  power,  from  producer  gas . 59,  63,  66 

total  primary  in  Texas .  76 

“Equivalent  coal,”  definition  of .  71 

Erath  county,  analysis  of  coal  from. 8-10, 17-18,  20,  26-30,  33,  45-46,  49,  51 

“Excelsior,”  used  in  dry  scrubber .  98 

Earle,  Bayliss,  Waco,  producer  plant  of . 77-78,  109 


128 


Index 


Page. 

Fairbanks-Morse  Co.,  alternator . 117*118 

gas  engines . 76-78,  100, 103, 106, 107, 109, 113-114, 116, 117, 118 

generators,  see  Gas  Engines, 
producers,  see  Gas  Engines. 

pump  . 82,  100 

Fauna  of  coal  beds .  42 

Fayette  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 4.5-46-49,  51,  53 

Fernald,  R.  H.,  quoted . ^ .  63-66 

Fixed  Carbon,  range  of,  in  coals .  16 

in  lignites  .  41 

Flora  of  coal  beds . 42-43 

Foos  Gas  Engine . 76-78,  81,  83 

Fort  Worth,  natural  gas  supplied  -to .  88 

Fuel  gas  plant:  Austin  White  Lime  Co....- . 108,  114 

Dittlinger  Lime  Co .  87 

Round  Rock  White  Lime  Co .  109 

Gainesville  Electric  Co.,  producer  plant  of . 60,  78-79,  99 

Garwood,  producer  plant  at . 63,  100 

Gas-coke,  amount  produced  in  Texas  in  1907 .  23 

Gas  Engines,  types  of,  used . 76,  78-79 

Gas,  fuel,  amount  produced  in  Texas  in  1907., .  22-23 

illuminating,  amount  produced  in  Texas  in  1907 .  22-23 

natural,  methane  in .  87 

oil  and  water,  amount  produced  in  Texas  in  1907 .  23 

producer,  analysis  of . 68,  70-74,  94-96,  112 

works,  value  of  products  from,  in  United  States,  1907-1908 .  22 

yield  of,  from  lignite . 67,  70,  73 

Gatesville  Power  &  Light  Co.,  producer  plant  of . 63,  78-79,  101 

General  Electric  Co.,  generator . 99,  101,  111 

*  Gifford  Plantation,  G.  C.,  producer  plant  at . 77-78,  103 

Glen  Flora,  see  Gifford  Plantation. 

Goutal  formula  . . . . .  25 

Graham’s  Lake,  Rusk  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Grand  Saline,  Van  Zandt  county,  lignite  from .  88 

See  also  Consumers  Lignite  Co. 

Green,  E.  H.  R .  120 

Harrison  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-55 

Harrisburg  Steam  Engine .  99 

Harry,  producer  plant  at . 59,  77-79,  103 

Harvey  Producers  . . 76-77,  87 

Head’s  Prairie,  Limestone  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from....  53-54 

Heat  Units,  calculation  of,  in  producer  gas .  96 

effective,  definition  of  .  121 

from  coal  producer  gas .  81 

from  .lignite  producer  gas . 69,  71.  73,  83,  86,  89,  94-97,  112 

from  natural  gas .  87 

definition  of  . 24 

Heat  units:  in  Texas  coals . 10,  24,  26.  45-48 

in  Texas  lignites . 40-41,  45-49,55,  67,  69.  72-73 

Henderson,  Rusk  county,  lignite  near .  53-54 

Henderson  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Herrick  producer  . 76,  78,  87 

Home  Light  &  Water  Co.,  Blooming  Grove,  producer  plant  of.. 78-79,  82 

Home  Light  &  Power  Co.,  Mart,  producer  plant  of . 78,  109 

Hopkins  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  45-47 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer .  Ill 

See  also  under  Como  Lignite  Co.  and  Como  Coal  Co. 

Horse-power,  from  lignite  gas . 59,  64-65,  70,  72,  73,  76,  90-93 


Index 


1211 


Page. 

Houston  Cotton-Meal  Mill,  producer  plant  of . 78-79,  103-106 

Houston  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 39-40,  45-46,  53-55 

.  See  also  under  Calvert  and  Houston  County  Coal  &  Mfg.  Co. 

Houston  County  Coal  &  Mfg.  Co.,  analysis  of  lignite  from. ..  .39-40,  105 

cost  of  lignite  from .  106 

test  of  lignite  from,  at  St.  Louis .  67-69 

use  of,  in  producer . 105,  118 

Hoyt,  Wood  county,  lignite  from .  53-54 

See  also  under  Consumers  Lignite  Co. 

Huntsville  Electric  Light  &  Power  Co.,  producer  plant  of.  .60,  77-78,  106 

Hyde’s  Bluff,  Houston  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Hydrogen,  “disposable”  .  20-21 

range  of,  in  Texas  coals .  20 

range  of,  in  Texas  lignites .  51 

Ideal  Steam  Engine .  113 

Independence  Mining  Co.,  Phelan,  analysis  of  lignite  from. 45-46,  49,  51 

lignite  from,  used  in  producer .  116 

Industrial  Gas  Co .  76 

Ingersoll-Rand  Air  Compressor . 82 

International  Coal  Mines  Co.,  Eagle  Pass,  analysis  of  coal  from. 20,  26-30 

use  of  coal  from,  in  producer .  87 

Iron  Mountain,  Rusk  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Irrigation  pumping  plants,  Altair .  81 

Calallen  .  83 

Irvin  producer  . 76,  78,  119 

Jack  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 20,  26-30 

Jackson,  G.  M.,  producer  plant  of . 77-78,  100 

Jacksonville,  Cherokee  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Jameson  producer,  yield  of  ammonia  from .  22 

Jewett.  Leon  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from,  see  Bear  Grass 
Coal  Co, 

Kimble  Pits,  analysis  of  coal  from . 36 

Kingsville  Power  Co.,  producer  plant  of . 60,  78-79,  107 

Korting  Positive  Steam  Blower .  104 

Krey,  Dr.,  analysis  of  tar  by .  124 

Laredo,  Webb  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  27-29 

use  of  coal  from,  in  producer .  114 

See  also  under  Cannel  Coal  Co.  and  Rio  Grande  Coal  Co. 

Lee  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from . : . •  53-55 

See  also  under  Rockdale  Coal  Co. 

Leon  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from . ..45-46,  53-55,  105 

See  also  under  Bear  Grass  Coal  Co. 

Leonard  Ice  &  Light  Co.,  producer  plant  of . 63,  107 

Lignite,  area  in;  Alabama .  60 

Arkansas  .  60 

Louisiana  .  . : .  .  60 

Montana  .  60 

North  Dakota  .  60 

South  Dakota  .  60 

Tennessee  .  60 

Texas  . 37-38,  60 

composition  of  ash  of .  41 


consumption  of,  in  producer  plants,  see  discussion  of  producer 

plants. 

cost  of . 60,  82,  83,  86,  93,  99,  101, 106,  108,  110,  111,  114,  115, 117,  118 


130 


Index 


Pag(j. 

evaporation  of  water  by . 56,  105,  111 

in  North  Dakota .  60,  66 

Preliminary  Report  on  Utilization  of,  Dumble .  3 

producing  counties  .  46 

production  of  . 7 

value  of,  at  mines .  7 

tested  by  United  States  Geological  Survey .  66-73 

use  of  in  producers,  different  States .  66 

Lime  kilns,  oil  fired,  at  Dittlinger .  87 

producer-fired,  Dittlinger  .  87 

McNeil  . 108 

Round  Rock  .  114 

Limestone  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Lindale,  Smith  county,  lignite  near .  53-54 

Little  Brazos,  Robertson  county,  lignite  on .  53-54 

Lone  Star  Gas  Co.,  natural  gas  supplied  by .  86,  88 

Lone  Star  Lignite  Mining  Co.,  analysis  of  lignite  from. ..  .45-46,  49,  51 

Longview,  producer  plant  at . 78,  103 

Loomis-Pettibone  producer  . 76-79,  103 

Lytle,  Medina  county,  lignite  at . 38-40,  45-46,  49,  51,  54 

See  also  under  Carr  Wood  &  Coal  Co.  and  Bertetti  Coal  Co. 

McBee  Schoolhouse,  Cherokee  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

McCathern  creek,  Harrison  county,  lignite  on....^ .  53-54 

McCulloch  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  32 

McDonough,  J.  H.,  see  also  under  Irvin  producer . 76,  120 

McNeil,  producer  plant  at . 75,  78,  87,  108 

Manton  Bluff,  Fayette  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Marse  &  Co.,  T.  W.,  Taylor,  producer  plant  of .  118 

Mart,  producer  plant  at . 63,  109 

Maverick  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 8-10-17,  20,  26-30 

See  also  under  International  Coal  Mines  Co.  and  Olmos 
Coal  Co. 

Medina  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from. .. 38-40-41,  45-46,  49,  51,  53-55 
See  also  under  Carr  Wood  &  Coal  Co.  and  Bertetti  Coal  Co. 

Melcher  Coal  &  Clay  Co.,  O’Quinn,  analysis  of  lignite  from.  .45-46,  49,  51 

Methane  in  natural  gas .  87 

Milam  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from.  .38,  40-41,  45-46.  49,  51,  53-55, 109 
See  also  under  Rockdale. 

Milano,  Milam  county,  see  Burnet  Fuel  Co. 

Mineola  Light  &  Ice  Co.,  producer  plant  of . 63,  78-79,  110 

lignite  near  .  53-54 

Minera,  Webb  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  8-10 

See  also  under  Cannel  Coal  Co.  and  Rio  Grande  Coal  Co. 

Mineral  Springs  Ridge,  near  Beckville,  Panola  county,  analysis 

of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Minneapolis  Steel  &  Machinery  Co.  (Muenzel  Gas  Engine) . 76.  101 

Moisture,  in  Texas  coals,  range  of .  10 

in  Texas  lignites .  41 

Mond  producer,  yield  of  ammonia  from .  22 

Mt.  Marion  Coal  Mining  Co.  same  as  Strawn  Coal  Mining  Co. 

Morris  county,  lignite  in . '. .  53-55 

Muenzel  Gas  Engine . . .  76,  101 

Murray  Company,  The . 76,  119 

See  also  under  Irvin  producer. 

I 

Nash  Gas  Engine  . 76,  79,  99 

National  Meter  Co.,  see  Nash  Gas  Engine. 

Natural  gas,  from  Clay  county .  86-87 


Index 


131 


Page. 

New  Boston,  Bowie  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

New  Mexico,  use  of  coal  from,  in  producer . 59,  75,  79,  84 

Nitrogen,  range  of  in  Texas  coals .  20-21 

range  of  in  Texas  lignites .  41 

North  Central  Coal  Field .  5-6 

production  of  coal  from .  8 

North  Dakota,  lignite  in .  66 

Nueces  River  Irrigation  Co.,  producer  plant  of .  78,  82 

Oil,  crude,  use  of  under  boilers .  97 

in  lime  kilns .  87 

in  engines  .  107 

Olmos  Coal  Co.,  Eagle  Pass,  analysis  of  coal  from.  .16,  20,  26,  27,  29,  31 

coal  washing  plant  of .  7 

use  of  coal  from,  in  producer . 29,  30,  87,  108 

Olsen  &  Sons,  J.  J.,  test  of  lignite  from,  at  St.  Louis .  71 

O’Quinn  creek,  Fayette  county,  lignite  on .  53-54 

Ovitz,  F.  H.,  quoted .  15 

Oxygen,  range  of,  in  Texas  coals .  20-21 

in  Texas  lignites . 41 

Palm,  O.  W.,  analyses  by .  10 

Palo  Pinto  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 9,  10,  17,  20,  26-30 

See  also  Strawn  Coal  Mining  Co. 

Panola  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Parker  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 8-10,  17,  19,  20  26-30 

See  also  Santo  Mining  &  Developing  Co. 

Parr  Standard  Calorimeter,  used  for  determining  heat  units. ...  24 

Pennock,  J.  D.,  quoted .  22 

Pennsylvania  anthracite  coal,  use  of,  in  producer .  115 

Peoples’  Light  Co.,  Corpus  Christi,  producer  plant  of . 78-79,  84 

Phelan,  Bastrop  County,  lignite  from . 

See  Independence  Mining  Co. 

Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  test  of  lignite  made  at .  73-74 

Texas . producer  plant  at . 75,  78,  79,  82,  111 

Porter,  H.  K.,  quoted .  15 

Power  &  Mining  Machinery  Co.  (Loomis-Pettibone  producer) ,  .76,  103 

Presidio  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  34 

coal  in  . .- .  6 

Producer  Gas  Plants  in  United  States,  in  1909,  Fernald .  65-65 

Producers  used  in  Texas .  76-78 

Producer  gas,  analyses  of . 68,  70,  71,  72,  74,  94-96,  112 

Producer  horse  power,  in  United  States  in  1909,  Fernald .  65-66 

in  Texas  .  61,  66 

Producer  operations.  Tables .  90-99 

Producer  plants,  capacity  of,  in  Texas . . .  75 

location  of,  in  Texas .  74-75 

number  of,  in  Texas .  59 

list  of,  in  Texas:  Altair .  81 

Amarillo  .  81 

Blooming  Grove  .  82 

Brownwood  . 83 

Calallen  . ‘ .  83 

Canadian  . 84 

Corpus  Christi  .  84 

Dallas  .  86 

Dittlinger  .  87 

Eagle  Ford  . ;  87 


132 


Index 


Page. 

Gainesville  .  99 

Garwood  .  100 

Gatesville  .  101 

Glen  Flora  .  103 

Harry  .  103 

Houston  .  106 

Huntsville  .  106 

Kingsville  .  107 

Leonard  .  107 

Longview  .  lOS 

McNeil  .  105 

Mart  .  109 

Mineola  . .  110 

Pittsburg  .  Ill 

Rockport  .  113 

Round  Rock  .  114 

Royse  .  114 

San  Angelo  .  115 

San  Antonio  .  115 

Smithville  .  116 

Stephenville  .  117 

Taylor  .  118 

Teague  .  118 

Terrell  .  119 

Weatherford  . • .  120 

.  Yorktown  .  120 

Pruit  Place,  Morris  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Railroads,  entering  coal  fields .  6 

suggested  new  .  8 

Rains  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-55 

Rathbun-Jones  Gas  Engine . 76-77,  79,  82,  84,  104,  107,  110,  116 

Rattlesnake  coal  beds,  Brewster  county .  36 

Richolson.  ,T.  J.,  producer  plant  of .  78,  81 

Rio  Grande  Coal  Co.,  Laredo,  analysis  of  coal  from. .  .8-10, 17,  20,  26-30 
See  also  under  Webb  county  coal. 

Rio  Grande  Coal  Field .  5,  6 

production  of  coal  from .  7 

Robertson  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from.  .38-40,  45-46,  49.  51,  53-54, 105 

See  also  under  Calvert  and  S.  W.  Fuel  &  Mfg.  Co. 

Robertson’s  Ferry,  Harrison  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Rock  creek,  Parker  county,  analysis  of  coal  from .  8-10 

Rockdale,  Milam  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 38-40, 

41,  45-46,  49.  51,  54 . 108.  114 


See  also  under  American  Lignite  Briquette  Co.,  Rockdale 
Consolidated  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale  Lignite  Co.,  Rowlett  & 

Wells,  Texas  Coal  Co.,  and  Vogel  Coal  &  Mfg.  Co. 

Rockdale  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale,  analysis  of  lignite  from. ..  .45-46,  49,  51 
Rockdale  Consolidated  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale,  analysis  of  lignite 


from  . 45-46,  49.  51 

Rockdale  lignite,  cost  of .  86 

Rockport  Ice  &  Light  Co.,  Roclq^ort,  producer  plant  of... 63.  77-78,  113 

Rocky  Ford,  Harrison  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Round  Rock  White  Lime  Co.,  Round  Rock.*  producer  plant 

of  . 75,  78.  109,  114 

Rowlett  &  Wells,  Rockdale,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 45-46,  49,  51 

Royse  Milling  &  Light  Co.,  Royse.  producer  plant  of . 63,  75,  114 

Rusk  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-55 

Russell,  E,  R..  quoted .  34 


Index 


138 


Page. 

Sabine  River,  San  Augustine  county,  lignite  on .  53-54 

Salt  water,  use  of  in 'producer  plant .  85 

San  Angelo  Street  Car  Co.,  San  Angelo,  producer  plant  of.. 60,  78,  115 

San  Antonio  Portland  Cement  Co.,  San  Antonio,  producer 

plant  of  . 59,  78-79,  115-116 

San  Augustine  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-55 

San  Carlos  Coal  Co.,  analysis  of  coal  from .  34 

San  Carlos  Coal  Field,  Presidio  county,  analysis  of  coal  from..  34 

coking  coal  in .  16 

location  of  .  6 

Santo  Mining  &  Developing  Co.,  Weatherford,  analysis  of  coal 

from  . 20,  26,  27-30 

Shelby  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

Silver  Moon  Coal  Mine,  Coleman  county,  analysis  of  coal  from.  33 

Skinner  Automatic  Engine . ' .  117 

Smith  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-55 

Smith  Gas  Power  Co.,  The,  data  from .  74-76 

Smith  producer  . 76-79,  82-86,  99,  101-102,  107,  110,  115 

Smith  tar  extractor . 119 

Smithville  Light  &  Power  Co.,  producer  plant  of . 63,  77-78,  116 

Snow  Gas  Engine . 76-79,  103 

Somerset,  Atascosa  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  53-54 

S.  W.  Fuel  &  Mfg.  Co.,  Calvert,  analysis  of  lignite  from. 45-46,  49,  51, 105 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer .  109 

Southern  Gas  &  Gasoline  Engine  Co.,  Houston .  81,  84 

Southwestern  States  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Eagle  Ford,  near 

Dallas,  producer  plant  of . 77-78,  87-99 

Specific  gravity  of  Texas  coals . 10,  26-27 

of  Texas  lignites .  40-41 

Stanard-Tilton  Milling  Co.,  Dallas,  producer  plant  of . .  78,  86 

Stephens  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . :.  33-34 

Stephenville  Light  &  Water  Works,  Stephenville,  producer  plant 

of  . 63,  77-78,  117 

Stewart  Creek  Coal  Co.,  Jermyn,  analysis  of  coal  from . 20,  26-30 

St.  Louis,  Coal  Testing  Plant  of  United  States  Geological  Sur¬ 
vey  at  . 66  et  seq. 

Stone  Bluff,  Cass  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from. .  53-54 

Strawn  Coal  Mining  Co,,  Strawn,  analysis  of  coal  from. 9-10,  17,20,26-30 

Sulphur  Springs,  Hopkins  county  lignite  at .  53-54 

Sulphur,  discussion  of .  19 

Tar,  analysis  of .  124 

filters  for . .  105 

price  of  .  115 

-yield  of . 105,  110,  115,  117,  119 

Taylor,  Williamson  county,  producer  plant  at . ’..,.63,  75,  118 

Teague  Electric  Light  &  Power  Co.,  producer  plant  of  ...  .63,  77-78,  118 

Terrell,)  producer  plant  at . . . 78-79,  119 

Tertiary  coal  . . 6,  8,  11,  17 

Texas  Coal  Co.,  Rockdale,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 45-46,  49,  51 

cost  of  lignite  from .  114 

use  of  lignite  from,  in  producer .  114 

Texas  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Dallas,  producer  plant  of . 77-78,  103 

Texas  Midland  Railroad,  producer  planit  at  shops  of .  78 

See  also  under  Irvin  producer. 

Texas  &  Pacific  Coal  Co.,  Thurber,  analysis  of  coal  from.  9-10, 17,  20,  26-30 

Texas  Geological  Survey .  3,  44 

Tilson,  P.  S.,  Houston,  analyses  of  lignite  by .  105 


134 


Index 


Page. 

Tonge,  Jas.,  quoted .  42-43 

Timpson,  Shelby  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from  near .  53-54 

Tyler,  Smith  county,!  lignite  near .  53-54 

United  States  Geological  Survey,  statistics  of .  7,  23 

use  of  lignite  at  Coal  Testing  Plant  of .  66-73 

University  Mineral  Survey  . 3,  5,  8,  10,  17 

Upshur  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from .  123 

Van  Zandt  county,  lignite  from,  see  Consumers  Lignite  Co. 

Vogel  Coal  &  Mfg.  Co.,  Rockdale,  analysis  of  lignite  from. .  .45-46,  49,  51 

Volatile  &  Combustible  Matter,  range  of,  in  Texas  coals .  13 

In  Texas  lignites  .  47-48 


Wallace  headright,  Houston  county,  lignite  on .  53-54 

Walter’s  headright,  C.  M.,  Henderson  county,  lignite  on .  53-54 

Weatherford,  producer  plant  at . 78, 120 

Webb  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 8-10,  17,  20,  26-30 

analysis  of  lignite  from .  55 

use  of  coal  from,  in  producer . 113-114 

Weber  Gas  Engine  . 76, 119 

Weight  per  cubic  foot  of  Texas  coals . 10,  26-27 

Of  Texas  lignites .  40-41 

Western  Electric  Co’s,  alternator .  107 

Westinghouse  Machine  Co.,  East  Pittsburg,  alternator .  86 

Gas  engine  . 66,  76-78,  81,  84,  108,  111,  120 

Generator . 66,  81,  84,  86 

Producer . 76-78,  81,  84,  108,  120 

Tarless  producer . 82,  111,  112 

Westinghouse  Machine  Co.,  The,  Bulletin  W.  M.  503,  quoted. ..  .73,  76 

Westmoreland  Bluff,  Houston  county,  lignite  at .  53-54 

Wichita  county,  natural  gas  from .  61 

Wise  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 6,  8-10,  17,  20,  26-33 

Wise  County  Coal  Co.,  analysis  of  coal  from . 8-10,  17,  20,  26-30 

Wood  county,  analysis  of  lignite  from . 45-46,  49,  51,  53-55,  88-89 

See  also  Consumers  Lignite  Co. 

Wood,  R.  D.,  producer . 66,  76-78,  81-86,  103,  108,  114 

Worthington  pump  .  83 


Yorktown  Light  &  Ice  Co.,  producer  plant  of . 63,  78-79,  120 

Young  county,  analysis  of  coal  from . 8,  20,  26-33 

See  also  Belknap  Coal  Co. 


*5 


